A devoted heart, a black affection
by Cyraina
Summary: UPDATED WITH NOTE! PLEASE READ! Important information inside as to why I had stopped writing, and the future of this story (IT WILL EVENTUALLY BE CONTINUED, PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION ON MY NEW UPDATE)! The link to my deviantart where I will have this story in comic format is on my profile! If you can't see it there, then type cyraina . deviantart . com with no spaces.
1. Chapter 1: A strange Force

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

**Author's note: This chapter is a re-write of the first chapter. I changed a lot of stuff in it and I do believe it's MUCH better than it was, including grammar. I hope everyone enjoys it! If read, please leave a review.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 1: A strange Force

"Seek out this disturbance in the Force, my apprentice. Inform me of who or what is causing the disturbance. If any use, I will go to Tatooine myself and investigate it." Sidious commanded Maul.

Master Sidious instructed Maul, who proceeded to respectfully bow before him. His black hood covered hid horned head and he stood beside his Sith Inflitrator. He slowly bent down, "Yes, Master."

"Try to remain hidden, Lord Maul. We don't want the inhabitants of Tatooine to know of out existence. If this disturbance we sense is from a person, keep yourself out of their sight." Sidious explained the mission with imposing, menacing, movements. "If a situation occurs where you must intervene with anything, take care to keep your identity concealed. Now, take leave."

Maul immediately stood on command and quickly bowed his head in a courteous manner towards his Master. "Yes, my Lord."

Maul turned from his Master and walked into his Sith Infiltrator. After boarding the starship and setting himself comfortably into its cockpit, he set the navicomputer's coordinates to planet Tatooine. A few seconds later his starship rose from the hanger. Before leaving the base, he activated the cloaking device that his Master had skillfully installed so as to keep himself hidden.

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><p>The Infiltrator dropped out of hyperspace and slowly descended into Tatooine's atmosphere. Maul saw that the planet's twin suns were currently set. Once the Infiltrator was at a complete stop, Maul opened it's exiting door and stepped out onto the sandy desert ground.<p>

Maul quietly stood and stared into the area before him. The sandy wind hit his face as he searched around the region. He decided to take out his electrobinoculars to get a better view of the area.

The Sith Lord carefully scoped the area. He could see into far distance, even if miles off, with the powerful electrobinoculars. As he slowly turned his head, he saw on his left a small village.

'…No, the energy isn't coming from there.' Maul though to himself after pausing and staring at the village for a few seconds. Now turning to the right, he searched more. As hr noticed some movement to his right, he immedietly halted and gazed into the distance.

He saw a figure standing near a mountainous area just a few miles off from the village he had just seen. The figure was standing between what looked like two Tusken Raiders. He curiously watched the figure as he began to sense darkness from it.

He noticed the person look at the Sand People that stood around them, and witnessed the being put their arms out in a defensive stance. That's when he sensed a dark energy flow from the person, and saw the Tusken Raiders fly high into the air and land hard onto the sand.

And that's when Maul knew he had found his target.

He unloaded his Sith Speeder, which he had named Bloodfin, from the Sith Infiltrator's, underside cargo hatch and quickly seated himself into it's open cockpit. He began to drive to the figure's location, keeping his eyes focused on his target.

Once near the area, he watched as the Sand People stood up and aimed their guns at the one who knocked them down. Maul was luckily far enough away as for the Raiders to not notice his presence. He looked at the person they were aiming for, and noticed it was a girl. She was running as fast as she could towards the small village that Maul had seen earlier. Then, he heard a gunshot.

The girl fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Maul then sensed anger from her. He saw, even from afar, she had been shot in the left shoulder.

He made a quck decision to stop the attacks on the girl and kill the Tusken Raiders. 'What good would she be to my Master if dead?' He though.

He drove faster towards the two Sand People and hastily jumped from Bloodfin, flipping rapidly in the air. He extended one end of his lightsaber while still in the air, and effortlessly struck down the two Sand People. Their heads fell from their lifeless bodies as they slowly dropped to the ground on their knees.

Maul withdrew his crimson light saber and stared at the wounded girl laying on the ground. He noticed the she was trying to force herself to focus on him, and that she was weak from the pain of the gunshot. He decided to walk closer to her.

The girl stared up at Maul, who towered over her injured form. She breathed harshly in and out, trying to catch her breath.

Maul looked over the girl, and quickly noticed she was not human. Her hair was pitch black and long, passing down her waist. She had pale, grey-ish white porcelin skin, and deep brown eyes. She wore a khaki-colored tee-shirt and slacks, like most of the inhabitants of Tatooine wore. She looked very small, about five feet tall, and thin, probably from malnourishment. But, judging by her facial features, she looked around the age of twenty.

'A Dathomirian, perhaps?' Maul pondered. He continued to stare at the girl, whom he noticed was clenching her teeth in frustration. She continued to breath heavily, almost on the verge of fainting.

"Who… are you?" She asked in breathy gasps. Maul did not respond, but instead leaned down to her level and looked at her wound. He grasped her arm and took out some spare cloth he had tucked away in his coat. The girl noticed he was about to tie her wound.

"I don't… need… your help!" She tried her best to yell at him, but her voice came out in exhausted sighs.

"If you don't tie the wound you could bleed to death." He told her as he began to bind the cloth tightly to her injury.

"These things happen to me… all the time… in this place." She grunted. She put her hand out in front of the red and black tattooed man. "I don't want… your help!" She struggled to shout.

Maul sensed that she had tried to use the Force on him, but she was in so much pain that all it did was gently wave his clothes around as if being blown by air. He watched her eyes then shut. She had used the last bit of her energy that she had to try to make him stop, which caused her to faint. Her head fell back, and her body fell limp. He grasped her before she hit the ground, then gently rest her sleeping form on the sand.

Maul took out his holographic communicator and contacted his Master. He appeared before him in a small, blue, electrical hologram.

"My Master, I found the one causing the disturbance. It looks to be a Dathomirian female." He explained.

"Excellent, my apprentice. Show her to me." Sidious commanded. Maul turned the holoprojector towards the girl.

Sidious stared at her, and noticed her bandaged arm. "What happened to her?" He asked. "I do hope she did not see your face."

"No, Master, she did not. She was shot by the Sand People. She was in so much pain that her vision was disoriented. I bandaged her arm to stop the bleeding, Master." Maul explained himself.

Sidious sighed. "As long as she didn't see you." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "She is a normal villager of Tatooine?"

"Yes, Master, it appears so. She tried to run from the Sand People after she used the Force on them. She had ran towards the village but was shot in the arm." Maul awaited a response from his Master.

"Hmm…" Sidious looked down for a moment, then back at Maul. "Take her back to her village. Leave her there. She must have some family or friends there who can help her. Besides, if she has the Force on her side, she may not die so easily." He told his apprentice. "Then come back to me."

"Yes, Master." Maul nodded in agreement and closed his holoprojector, the placing it safely in his pocket. Afterwards, he picked the girl up and threw her resting body over his shoulder. Her arms and head dangled over his back, and he held her legs securely over his chest. He then proceeded to walk to the nearby village.

Once there, he looked around the village. There was not one person in sight. Everyone was soundly asleep in their small homes. He set the girl down near a random home, and gazed upon her for a few seconds as he thought, 'I wonder… What will the Master do with you? Kill you, keep you, use you?' He turned from her and started walking back to where he had left Bloodfin. 'I shall find out soon enough.'

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review. I like how this turned out. My character's personality didn't waver back and forth, and the chapter (to me) seemed more straightforward. Please tell me what you guys think! Thanks! Also, I will probably delete the chapter I had wrote first, as I will not be needing it anymore. I will do so after getting some reviews.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Never look back

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 2: Never look back

The pale skinned girl's eyes fluttered open as she awoke. She looked around the area she was in and noticed that it was one of the villager's homes. The walls were a light tan color and made of stone. A few metal trinkets hung from the wall, dangling over the soft bed that she lay on.

She sat up and held her head in pain as she groaned.

"What happened yesterday?" She said to herself. "I was trying to scavenge some food from the Tusken Raiders, and then…" She looked at her arm and saw a black cloth was tightly wrapped around it.

"I was shot. But that man bandaged my arm…" She said out loud as she remembered. "I couldn't see his face, but I remember that deep voice of his… He shouldn't have helped me! I can survive on my own!" The girl scowled in frustration. She looked down at her hands which were placed in her lap.

Moments later, she saw an older woman walk in carrying a glass of water in her hand. She looked around the age of fifty. Her hair was tied in a messy bun. She wore a khaki colored short sleeve dress like many of the inhabitants of Tatooine wore. There weren't many other types of clothes due to the poverty many of the inhabitants suffered through.

The girl stared at the woman, who began to walk over to her. "So, you're awake?" She asked. The girl averted her gaze from the woman by looking to the side.

The woman proceeded to hand her the water, but the girl wouldn't take it. "I don't need it." She told the woman as she continued to keep away eye contact.

The woman sighed at the girl's stubbornness and set the water down on a small table that was next to the bed. "Arian, you have no reason to be stubborn." She told her as she placed her hand on Arian's right shoulder. "Just please drink some water. You were hurt yesterday and you should try to regain your energy."

Arian angrily frowned at the woman and slapped her hand from her shoulder, The woman backed away with a sad expression on her face. Arian threw the sheets from her body and stood up from the bed. She walked passed the woman without looking back and headed out the front door.

The woman sighed and shook her head as she watched the young Dathomirian girl walk away. "That girl will never accept any help or kindness from others." She said to herself as she began to fix the bed Arian had been sleeping in.

Arian walked outside. She shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight until her vision became accustomed to the harsh rays. She looked around and saw several different species of people casually walk past her, doing as they did everyday. Surviving. Living their menial, futile lives, unknowing of what they wanted, wasting every precious breath they took on useless every-day tasks such as eating, working, and sleeping. She felt disgusted just looking at them.

Arian stood for only a few more moments until she spotted a Rodian male walk by with a large bag on his back. She noticed on the right side of the bag a large pocket that held two books inside. She briefly saw that the front book had the word, "Jedi" printed on it, and some other words that were being blocked by the bag's pocket.

'Yes! Another one!' Arian happily thought to herself as she smirked. She walked casually near the Rodian and subtly snatched the book from the bag, afterwards walking away as if nothing happened. She turned the book's front side towards her, reading the front cover.

"History of the Jedi." She read aloud to herself. "Well, at least now I can keep myself entertained." She looked around and saw a vacant table near a store and decided to sit down and begin reading her newly acquired book.

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><p>Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Sidious stood near the Sith Infiltrator, Scimitar, with his horned apprentice in front of him. Maul's hands were held together in front of him in a respectful and calm manner. He looked at his Master, who was dressed messily. His wavy hair was down and slightly frizzy. He wore fake reading glasses and a long, dark robe. His legs were clad in black jeans which were untucked from his dirty boots.<p>

"This disguise should keep the inhabitants of Tatooine unsuspecting." He told Maul. "They'll just think I'm some crazy philosopher." He turned from Maul, about to board Scimitar.

"What shall I do in the meantime, Master?" Maul asked him.

Sidious paused. "Wait here until I come back with the girl. If I need you, I'll contact you." He continued on his way.

Maul watched as his Master set the cloaking device on Scimitar and exited the hanger. All-the-while he thought to himself as to what his Master would do to bring her back. If he would use force, or if she'd come willingly.

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><p>Sidious quickly landed Scimitar on Tatooine after traveling through hyperspace for less than an hour. He landed two miles away from the village that his apprentice had left the girl.<p>

He stood outside and closed his eyes as he began focusing his mind on his target. He could faintly see the Dathomirian girl sitting near a mechanic's shop reading a book.

"Ah, there." He told himself as he began walking to the village the girl dwelled in.

As he got closer to the village, he saw more and more people appear. Some were the normal villagers that resided on the planet, others were outsides looking to but starship parts and other equipment. He passed by a few shops and some of the shopkeepers tried to persuade him into buying their items. He would only say, "Not, thank you." and continue on his way.

He could sense that he was getting closer to the girl as he continued on his path. The closer he got, the stronger her Force signal raced through his keen senses. He suddenly stopped as he spotted her sitting and reading her book.

He decided he would make her notice him first instead of him directly approaching her. He didn't want to give himself away. He wanted to disguise his personality to her as a normal person, as a means to test her and her senses.

He walked near her, staring at the shop that was behind her. His long robe waved in the wind near her side and as his body passed directly beside hers, he felt something, almost like a spark or a small ripple in the Force.

Arian made a small, almost inaudible gasp as she felt the quick surge of energy. Her eyes widened slightly and she set her book down. She looked behind her, trying to figure out where the energy she sensed was coming from.

'I've never felt something like that… Not from any normal person, anyway.' She though as she searched around. All she could see was the normal villagers and some outsiders buying some equipment. She did notice, however, and oddly dressed man in the mechanic's shop.

She saw he was speaking to the Toydarian owner about something, but she didn't know what. She watched as the old man smiled politely and nodded his head as if saying, "Thank, you". The man then turned in her direction.

Arian quickly turned back around and picked up her book, hoping the old man hadn't noticed her looking at him. Her body became stiff as she could sense him walking closer to her.

The old man stopped as he got near her. Arian noticed his shadow fall over her book, but she kept her eye's on the page as she continued to fakely read.

"Ah! Good book!" He said to her in a delightful manner. Arian's eyes traveled to the man's, but she kept her reading position. 'What? He knows of this one?' She thought, keeping her facial reactions neutral.

"This one tells of how the Jedi first came into being, and their long history of battles and their beliefs." The man explained to her as he smiled in a sweet manner. Arian only continued to stare at him.

"…What of it?" She asked him. The man still smiled at her, but paused for a moment. He seemed, to Arian, to be at a loss for words.

"…Well, you see, I am a philosopher, and of course as a philosopher I study these types of things and-" the man rambled on until Arian cut him off.

"I already know a lot about the Jedi. I don't need a lecture, old man." She told him disrespectfully. She continued to look at him and noticed he was still smiling at her. She was curious as to why.

The man looked at her kindly and sighed. "I am sorry to bother you, Miss." He apologized as he bowed his head to her. "I just thought that maybe another person who studies about the Jedi would also be studying and learning about the other side…" He paused his sentence a moment.

Arian looked at him inquisitively, curious as to what he would say next. He had caught her attention when he said, "the other side".

"The dark side of the Force." He continued.

Arian twitched and stared at him. He now had her full attention. 'He knows of the dark side?' She wondered.

"…I shall leave you be, Miss." He told her, beginning to walk away.

Arian felt confounded and confused. She didn't know what to say or think, but she felt like she needed to follow the old man. She made up her mind and yelled out, "Hey, wait!". He was already far off in the crowd. She picked up her book and left after the philosopher.

She pushed her way through the crowds of people, trying to keep the man in her sight. The people slowed her down as she stumbled through them, and the man seemed to only get further away,

'Pretty fast for an old man.' She thought to herself as she felt her annoyance rising from being unable to catch up to the philosopher.

She continued to follow him. He kept walking at what seemed like a hurried pace. 'Is he purposely leading me somewhere?' She wondered. 'Does he know I'm following him?'

Arian began to run, knowing that she could only catch up to him by doing so. He was still within her vision, and she saw him stop walking and look around. 'Finally!' She thought to herself as she let out a deep sigh. "Wait! Philosopher!" She yelled as loud as she could. The man turned around and looked at her. She ran towards him.

"Yes, Miss?" He asked, smiling. Arian looked around and then placed her hand on the man's shoulder. She led him to a corner rock where other people wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. She bent him down closer to her and whispered to him, "You know of the Sith?"

The man smirked at the young Dathomirian's question. "If you wish to discuss something like that, I suggest you do so where there are less people." He told her. Arian looked around and then said, "Come.".

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><p>She led herself and the philosopher to a desolate area that resided outside the village. It was far enough for them to be unheard by others, but close enough to the village for Tusken Raiders to be unable to attack them. Her and the old man sat on a rock. She sat with one of her arms resting on her knee, and the other propping herself against the hard stone beneath her. The man sat with his legs dangling from the rock and his hands together on his knees.<p>

"Tell me what you know." Arian demanded him. He snickered at her. "Do you not know of them? You said you know much about the Jedi." He asked, looking into her eyes, trying to read her emotions.

"Only from what I've been able to read." She explained. "I've read man books about the Jedi but they barely mention anything about the Sith in them. They seem to stray away from talking about the Sith."

The man did not answer her. He only smiled. Instead, he decided to get off topic and test the girl.

"What is your name?" He asked her. Arian lifted one of her eyebrows at his random question, but decided to answer him.

"Arian. My name is Arian." She told him. "Alright, Arian." The man said. "I have a question for you…" He leaned in closer to her, trying to intimidate her slightly. "What makes you so interested in the Jedi and the Sith?"

Arian looked away angrily and embarrassed. "What's it to you?" She asked as she kept her gaze averted.

"Just curious as to your interest in those ancient religions." He told her in a sweet, almost comforting voice.

Arian felt indecisive for a moment. She didn't know whether to trust him or not, but she felt something deep inside of her tell her to answer him. She didn't understand why, but she knew she should tell him.

"…I have that power… The one that is mentioned in all of the books. The one called the Force." She told him.

"That's nothing to be embarrassed of, my dear." He told her. Arian lifted her gaze back at him.

"It's not that I'm embarrassed of it or anything… It's just…" She looked at her pale white hands. "I feel like this power was wasted on me."

"How so?" The man asked her. He could sense darkness swelling within her.

"Because I'm stuck on this damn, useless planet!" She yelled, using her Force power to throw two rock that were a few feet in front of her into each other. They broke apart violently. She didn't notice, but the man smiled at her aggressive behavior. She looked back at him, and expression of hate in her eyes.

"…Another question for you." He said. Arain felt curious as to why the man had no reaction to her angered moment. "How much, exactly, DO you know of the Sith?"

"In the books, they mainly mention that the Jedi battled the Sith thousands of years ago, and that the Sith are considered evil." She explained. "They don't say much other than that."

'Only the basics.' The man thought to himself. "What is your opinion of the Jedi?" He asked.

Arian thought for a moment. 'Why do many questions? Who is this man? He's… different from others…' She still decided to answer him. She wanted to know what he would say to her once she told him her opinion.

"I don't agree with the Jedi…" She said. The mane kept himself from smiling. "I believe that it's natural for people to want things… To feel things, to fear death, to feel anger and hate. To be selfish! That's what makes us alive! Without those things, we're just like mindless, useless creatures… People should think for themselves, not only for others." She told him.

The man smiled at her, Arian was curious as to why. He stood up, looming over her. She stared up at him.

"You want to escape from here, don't you?" He asked her. Arian nodded. 'Is this man reading me?' She wondered.

"Why do you want to escape?" He asked her, his voice sounding darker.

"I want to be useful. I want to make something of myself. I don't want to just sit here and wait for death. I want to leave an impact, to know that I accomplished something in life… I don't want to live meaninglessly day after day like the rest of the people on this planet!" She told him angrily.

The man laughed. "Stand, my dear." He told her. Arian hated taking commands from others, but she felt oddly different about this man. She felt drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. She stood and looked him in the eyes. The her, it felt like he was piercing into her soul.

"You think you don't know much of the Sith because the literature you've read doesn't say much, but you have no idea how immersed you are in the dark side." He told her. He reached his hand out in front of him towards her. Arian looked at his hand, then back at him.

"Everything you just said, every feeling you have is what the Sith is. You are strong with the dark side, and the Force is with you." He smiled at her evilly.

Arian soon realized something. "You… You're one of them, aren't you? A Sith." She asked, puzzled by the old man.

The man snickered and smiled. Arian took that as a "yes". "I knew they weren't all destroyed. Not completely." She stated.

"It's your decision to make." He said. His hand was still out in front of him, his palm open.

"What is?" Arian asked.

"You want to leave this place. I can make that happen." He began to persuade her. He was confident that she would agree. He could feel that she desperately wanted to leave Tatooine.

Arian felt her heart skip. "You can get me off here?"

The man nodded. "Pledge your allegience to me and I shall take you from this planet immedietly."

Arian fell to her knees, trying to hold back tears. She would do anything to leave Tatooine. "…I pledge myself to you… I will do as you ask, anything…" She paused a second before speaking again. "…Master."

"Rise, young one." He told her. She did so. He turned from her and began walking to his cloaked ship. She followed him without once looking back.

They both boarded Scimitar. Arian had seen many starships before, but never a Sith Infiltrator. But she did not care. She only looked forward to her new future. One that was off the planet Tatooine.

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><p>They arrived at the secret base on Coruscant. Sidious landed Scimitar and led Arian out of the starship. She stepped out behind her Master and saw a man standing in front of them. She saw that the man had red and black tattoos, and horns jutting from his skull. She felt the man's presence was familiar.<p>

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I would like better reviews than just, "Please don't stop writing! Keep updating!" lol. You don't have to worry, I'm working on a new chapter all the time. I'm going to keep writing this story and finish it. Also, I know it seems like Arian was growing feelings for Sidious, but SHE IS NOT. She was just very curious of him, and she was desperate to leave Tatooine. She would do anything, including surrendering herself to a Sith in order to escape Tatooine. Just saying, because I know some of you readers may think otherwise. Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter! I started on chapter 3 already, so I should have it done and uploaded within a few days or so.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Facade

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 3: Facade

Sidious stepped in front of his apprentice, Maul. Maul bowed in respect towards his Master. Sidious commanded him with hand movements to arise.

Arian stood in front of her Master and the tattooed male. Her eyes were kept on the man, his strange tattoos intriguing her. She noticed her Master step beside the one who had bowed to him. She continued to stare at him with her mouth slightly agape.

The tattooed man's bright yellow eyes turned to the girl's stare. He looked at her with an emotionless expression. Arain gulped and looked at her Master. 'I hate when people notice me staring at them.' She thought.

"Girl." Her Master said. "Yes, Master?" She replied

"You will call me Lord Sidious, or Master Sidious. Understand?" He commanded her. She nodded in reliance. "Yes, Lord Sidious."

"This man before you…" Sidious pointed his hand to his apprentice. "… Is my apprentice, Darth Maul."

Arian looked at Maul. He looked back at her in return. 'Maul…' The girl thought, keeping his name in her memory.

"You met her yesterday." Sidious told Maul. "But she did not state her name to you, did she?"

"No, Master." Maul answered, keeping his wolf-like stare on the Dathomirian girl.

'He met me yesterday?' Arian though. Her eyebrows raised in realization. 'He's the one who saved me from the Tusken Raiders!'

"Her name is Arian." Sidious told Maul. Maul nodded, showing he heard him. He looked Arian up and down.

"She is weak, Master." He turned his stare from Arian and looked at Sidious.

"I'm not weak!" Arian yelled at him.

"If you are not weak, then why did you get so easily hurt by the Sand People's gunshot?" Maul asked, turning his eyes to Arian.

Arian looked at her arm. The bandage was still tightly wrapped around it. She made a low growl and looked back at Maul. Maul smirked at her angry behavior, making her even more mad.

Arian, on rage and impulse, stuck her hand out in front of Maul as she tried to use the Force on him. Maul had sensed a second before she did it, and used his own Force power on her. Her body flew back and hit the wing of the Scimitar.

Arian sat up and tilted her head down. She didn't want Sidious and Maul to see her expression. Maul walked up to her as she sat.

"You'll be in more pain than that if you continue to show disrespect." Maul told her.

Arian softly laughed, causing a puzzling look to play on Maul's face. She tilted her head up and smirked at Maul.

"Don't you remember what I told you yesterday? I'm used to being hurt! I was stuck on Tatooine for four years, and I survived on my own!" She yelled at him. "Back off of me!"

Maul raised his hand up as he readied himself to strike Arian. Arian braced herself for the impact.

"Enough!" Sidious commanded Maul. Arian noticed Maul's eyes widden at his Master's sudden order. He stopped, set his hand to his side and turned to face his master. Arian smiled to herself, feeling victorious.

"Arian, come with me." Sidious told her. She stood up and walked towards him. She stood beside Maul as she awaited Sidious to begin walking or tell her what he wanted her to do.

"Maul, go to your training barracks for now. I will come for you once I finish with Arian." Sidious told him. "Follow me, young one." He told Arian as he turned around and began walking to the door.

Maul bowed on one knee to his Master. Arian began walking with Sidious. But, as she did so, she turned her head over her shoulder to glance at Maul. He looked up at her as he stayed kneeling on the floor. Their eyes met for a moment before Arian turned back forward. After a few more steps, Sidious and Arian were out of the room, leaving Maul completely alone.

Maul stood and grit his teeth in anger. 'I don't understand. Why is my Master acting so kind towards her?' Maul thought as he stared at the door they had exited through. 'He treated me as if I was nothing when I was a child and tortured me, almost to the brink of death. So why is he not doing the same to her?' The questions escaped him. He stood for a few more moments as he searched for answers. Afterwards, he left to the training room. He decided he would take his frustration out on the droids that he trained against.

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><p>Sidious walked with Arian down a long hallway. He stopped when he got near one of the doors that was within the corridor.<p>

"You can't stay looking like that." He told her. Arian looked at him curiously. "Like what?"

"Your hair is a mess. You need at least your bangs cut so it won't get in your eyes." He told her as he faced her.

"I want to keep it long." She told him.

"That's alright. It just need to be fixed so it won't be a bother to you." Sidious looked her up and down, then back at her face. "I will also provide you with new clothes. You can choose whatever you wish and once of my droids will make them for you. You don't need to be in rags."

Sidious pressed a few buttons on the keypad next to the door. The electronic door moved up and opened. Arian saw a service droid within the dark room.

"What would you like, sir?" The droid asked Sidious as it walked out of the room.

"Clean up Arian, here. She needs a haircut and some new clothes." Sidious commanded his droid. "Arian, follow D-20." He gestured Arian to follow the service droid.

"Yes, Master." Arian said as she bowed her head down.

D-20 turned and began walking. "This way, miss." It told Arian.

Arian turned to the droid, following it.

"Atian." Sidious said from behind. Arian turned her head to face Sidious. "Yes, Mater?"

"When you are done, have D-20 escort you to the dining room. You not only need a haircut and clothes, but food as well. You are physically weak because of your lack of nutrients."

Arian paused a moment and looked down at her legs, then at her hands. 'I never really though about that before. I'm so used to not having much to eat.' She thought. 'The villagers on Tatooine would sometimes give me food, but I wanted to survive on my own without their aid. I would steal from the Tusken Raiders, but they barely had any food, themselves.'

"Better get going." Sidious told her as he watched D-20 getting further away.

Arian snapped out of her little trance and looked up. D-20 was leaving without her. She nodded at Sidious and ran after the droid, catching up with it.

* * *

><p>Maul kicked the large training job, stunning it. He then sliced it in half with his double-bladed lightsaber. It was the fifth droid he had destroyed since entering the room. But anger still filled him.<p>

He could sense his Master was near. He calmed himself as he let out slow, heavy breaths through his nostrils. He put his hands together in front of his chest and closed his eyes as his body relaxed. He then bent down on his knees as he bowed. His Master entered only a second later. He was dressed in his normal robes, again.

"Master…" Maul said in respect.

"Rise, Lord Maul." Sidious told him. Maul stood up and looked at his Master as he awaited him to speak.

"I sense great anger in you, my apprentice. Why is that?" Sidious bluntly asked him.

Maul had no response. He didn't know what exactly to tell his Master. 'It's not jealously I feel… Is it curiosity?' He thought.

Sidious could sense confusion within his apprentice. "You're curious why I'm acting so kindly towards her, aren't you? My attitude seems out of place, does it not?"

Maul looked down slightly to the side. "Yes, Master."

Sidious smiled and chuckled. "It is just a facade. She just arrived here. I need to get her to completely trust and obey me. It's easier to do that if I am kind to her. I trained you since you were a child, so it was natural that you obey and trust me. But she is a full grown adult. She was not raised by me, so she has no obedience or trust towards me." Sidious made a short laugh and looked to the side. 'She even blindly calls me Master, probably not even comprehending the meaning of the word.' He thought. He then looked back at Maul. "You don't know it yet, but you will play a role in getting her to trust me."

Maul looked at his Master curiously. 'How will I help with that?' He wondered.

"You will be the one to train her, Maul." Sidious told him as he smiled deviously.

Maul's mouth fell slightly agap. "You want me to train her, Master?"

Sidious nodded. "Yes. She will trust me if I am kind to her, but kindness does not allow the dark side to grow. If you train her, she will surely grow even more hate and contempt in her heart, thus making her stronger. You will teach her the ways of the dark side, while she will be obedient to me."

'Why had I ever doubted my Master?' Maul thought. 'But I wonder… what use is she going to be to him in the first place? Why does he want her?'

Sidious could tell what his tattooed apprentice was thinking. "I want her because the more people I have on my side, the easier it will be fore me to take over in the future. She will be a tool for me to use so I can more easily acquire power. You are also more than capable of teaching her of the dark side." He explained.

Maul nodded in compliance. "What now, Master?" He asked.

"I told Arian that once she got cleaned up to come to the dining room. The cooking droid is making dinner. I want you to come with me. We shall all dine together." Sidious explained. "Come, let's go." Sidious turned and began walking out of the door,

"Yes, my Master." Maul said, following Sidious.

* * *

><p>Sidiuos and Maul stood in the dining room, waiting for Arian to come. They looked at the large double electric doors and saw them begin to open.<p>

"She looks better now, doesn't she, sir?" D-20 asked as it pointed to Arian, presenting her and her new attire and haircut.

Airan's bangs were cut short and straight, reaching her eyebrows. The hair that draped in front of her ears and past her shoulders was tied so that it made two large loops around both of her ears and dangled to sit on her shoulders, and the ends came together on the back of her head and were held by a large, white hair tie. The bottom half of her hair was in a long braid, reaching down to her hips. The ends of the braid were also cut straight.

She wore a tight, sleeveless black dress that cut off right at the top of the thigh, revealing the top of her slender white legs. From the middle of the thighs and down, she wore taut black stockings and her feet had black boots that reached the middle of her forelegs. Her left arm adorned a black bells eve which was tight at the top of her forearm and flared out as it ran further down the arm. It was held at the top of her shoulder by two black straps. A thin red ribbon was tied around her neck, looped together in the middle like bunny ears, the two ends dangling above her chest.

"That onyx color compliments your pale skin, Arian." Sidious told her as he looked her up and down. "Much better than the rags you were wearing before on Tatooine."

Arian smiled at Sidious' compliment. "Thank you, Master."

Maul looked at her. She looked almost unrecognizable compared to how she looked before. She was clean and draped in Sith clothing. 'Don't get too comfortable. You'll be broken and in bruises soon enough.' He thought.

"Come, sit with us." Sidious smiled and motioned for her and Maul to sit at the table.

Sidious sat on the far end. Maul sat on the right side, and Arian on the left. Arian and Maul were sitting directly in front of each other. With Sidous on the end, he could easily oversee both of them.

Arian twitched her eyes up to look at Maul, and he did the same. She was curious as to what Maul was thinking at the moment. She also wondered what exactly he did in the training room.

"So, Arian. Tell us a bit about yourself." Sidious said, smiling at her. She turned her head to him, which caused her hair to flip slightly from the sudden motion. Maul kept still and only turned his piercing yellow eyes to his Master.

"What's there to tell, really?" Arian asked. "I basically had no life on Tatooine."

Sidious knitted his fingers together and placed them under his chin. "You mentioned that you were stuck on Tatooine for four years… Where were you before you arrived on Tatooine?"

Maul turned his gaze to Arian. He was curious what her answer might be. 'She was probably escaping someone for stealing something, or running away from home like a disobedient child, or…' Maul's thoughts were cut from Arian's answer.

"…I don't remember." She replied, looking down.

Maul's eye ridges squinted together puzzlingly.

"You can't remember?" Sidious asked.

"Nope, nothing. I don't know where I came from, or my family, or anything. All I could remember is my first name." Arian explained as she looked at the table, making it seem like she was searching for answers.

Sidious looked at Maul, then back at Arian. He positioned himself, making his body look like he leaned in closer. "Do you know how you arrived on Tatooine?"

A service droid walked in with a cart. Three large dinner plates sat on the cart, and the droid silently walked towards Maul, Arian, and Sidious as it sat the plates in front of each of them.

Arian looked at the covered plate that was in front of her, then at the droid. The droid removed the cover to Arian's food, then Sidious' and last Maul's. Each plate revealed the same thing. High quality roasted chicken meat, a side salad, and a slice of fine cheese. Wine glasses filled with red wine sat to the left of each place, and a fork and knife on the right.

Arian stared at her food, nearly drooling. She looked at Sidious with a pleading look in here eyes. Sidious smiled and gestured for her to eat.

Arian ripped at her food as if she was starving. She didn't care what Maul or Sidious thought of her table manners, she just wanted food.

Maul watched as she dug into her food like a vicious animal. 'Disgusting…' He thought.

Sidious and Maul cut and ate their food normally. They weren't even halfway done by the time Arian ate every last scrap of her dinner. She then remembered that she hadn't answered Sidious' previous question.

"There were some villagers that said I had crash landed in a starship." She stated.

Maul took a bite of the chicken and looked at her. Sidious continued to cut into the meat, but focused his attention on Arian.

"They said that they found me in the starship, barely alive from the crash. A few of the villagers helped me and took care of me. But even once I had healed, I couldn't remember anything." She continued.

"You do know what your race is, correct?" Sidious asked her.

Arian took a sip of her wine. "Some of the villagers said that I'm a Dathomirian, but I'm not sure what exactly that is."

"A Dathomirian is Zabrak-human hybrid from the planet Dathomir." Maul answered her, suddenly. Arian looked at Maul. "Zabrak?" She asked.

'She must be an idiot.' Maul thought as he inwardly sighed to himself.

"A Zabrak is what Maul is, here." Sidious explained, pointing his hand towards his apprentice.

Arian studied Maul's tattoos and horns. "But I look nothing like him." She said as she turned back to Sidious.

"The female hybrids look nothing like the males. They have no horns, and they are capable of growing hair. Maul is also only half Zabrak and half human due to his mother being a Nightsister human and his father, a Zabrak. But the male hybrids take after the Zabraks one-hundred percent." Sidious told her.

Arian quickly looked at Maul, then back at Sidious.

"It's interesting, though…" Sidious looked at Arian's pale skin. "All of them, female or male, have tattoos which are given to them at birth, but you have none."

'So that's where he got them.' Arian thought, turning her gaze to Maul. He was still staring at her.

Everyone paused and looked down. They had finished eating. Sidious smiled and stood. Arian and Maul looked at him.

"You must be tired." Sidious said as he looked at Arian who was still sitting.

"Yeah." She answered back.

"Maul." Sidious turned to face his apprentice.

"Yes, Lord?" Maul stood up and faced his Master.

"Take Arian to her sleeping quarters." He commanded him.

"Yes, Master." He bowed in respect and turned to Arian. She looked at him and stood up.

"Come." Maul told her. He began walking. Arian soon followed behind him. "Thank you, Master." She told Sidious before she left.

Sidious smiled and nodded. He stood and watched them leave the room.

* * *

><p>Maul walked with Arian down a few long hallways, not once even looking at her. Arian glanced at him occasionally before they reached the room.<p>

They stopped at the large black door. Arian watched as Maul entered the numbers on the keypad, and the door slid up and opened. Inside was a small bed, a large mirror, and a closet. Only necessities.

Maul and Arian stepped in. Maul walked over to the closet and opened it, revealing a sleeping robe, a Sith cloak with a hood, and some extra clothes.

"Here are your clothes." He blantely said to her,

Arian sat on the bed and looked at him. "Okay." She said.

Maul closed the closet and began to walk out of the room. He turned to look at Arian and held his hand on the keypad.

"You will awake early." He said as he closed the door, not allowing Arian to answer back to him.

"Wai-!" Arian tried to yell out, but Maul had already shut her inside. She stood and walked over to the closed door. She noticed there was no way to open it from the inside. She sighed and walked back to her bed, laying down on it. 'Jerk.' She thought.

Maul walked from the closed door, heading towards his own room. Smirking, he thought, 'You're in for a rude awakening, girl.' He stopped near his room, pressed the numbers on the keypad, and entered. He was going to enjoy whipping the young Dathomirian into bending to his will, making her know how it truly feels to be submerged in the ways of the dark side.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! Thank you all for reading so far, I will definitely keep writing this fic. To AaylaKit - I know Sidious' disguise was funny, lolz. I got the idea of it from reading the book, "The wrath of Darth Maul". To Random Reviewer - Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me! It will end up helping me in the long run, and some if it I already had written down. As you could see, everything pertaining to Sidious using Arian was explained here. I'm glad you like my fic. I'm putting a lot of work into it. I want it to be good, and for my OC to be good and not a Mary-Sue. With your critic and other's, it really helps me to avoid making my character a sue. Anyway, thanks everyone! Please give me long reviews explaining what you think of the story so far, my character, and what you expect to see in future chapters!<strong>

**P.S. That last paragraph was NOT MEANT to be sexual in any way, shape, or form. It was only meant to portray Maul's desire to teach Arian respect, honor, and the dark side, by physically torturing/training her. He thinks she deserves it for acting like a disrespectful, ignorant child.  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Learning respect

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 4: Learning respect

It was five-thirty in the morning, and Maul was already awake and fully dressed, ready to begin his teachings. Normally he would awake and begin meditating, then train against droids. But today it was time for him to start Arian's training. He was dressed in his regular black Sith outfit, in which he adorned black combat sneaker boots and black leather gloves. He wore a black under shirt and a silky, black, loose, kimono-type over shirt. He had black pants that were neatly tucked into his boots. A thick black belt tied in the middle of his torso, holding his clothes in place. The kimono over shirt wrinkled at the top of the belt due to the belt's tightness, and the kimono's looseness. The kimono over shirt's sleeves were tucked neatly into his gloves.

Maul walked down a corridor that led to Sidious' sleeping quarters. Once in front of the door, Maul stood and waited for his Master to allow him inside. He knew Sidious could sense his presence. After a few seconds, the electronic door opened. Maul walked in and saw his Master standing in front of a mirror as he straightened his clothes. He was dressed in the outfit he wore whenever he had to go to a meeting in the senate. His disguise made him look like a normal political man. Not one person suspected he was anything but a senator, especially not a dark Lord of the Sith.

Sidious looked at Maul's reflection in the mirror as he continued to fix his senatorial clothes.

"You wanted to speak to me, Master?" Maul asked him.

"Yes." Sidious turned to face his apprentice as he finished dressing. "I am going to be gone for a few weeks. I expect to see some sort of improvement or change in Arian's behavior."

"Yes, Master." Maul nodded to him.

"Train her hard. Teach her respect and discipline. It is up to you what type of training you bestow upon her. Just make sure it isn't harsh enough to kill her." Sidious walked up to Maul and stopped once he was beside him. He and Maul kept their eyes peeled on each other.

"I have trained you well, Maul. Breaking her should be an easy task for you." Sidious began walking again as he headed for the door. "Oh, and make sure she eats enough to gain some weight. Her target weight is 105 pounds. She looks to be about 85 right now. She is physically weak not only because she does not yet know how to fight, but also because she needs to put on a few pounds. As she progresses, check her weight."

"Yes, my Lord. I shall start her training today." Maul bowed his head in respect.

Sidious stopped at the door and turned to Maul, waiting for him to follow him out. Maul walked over to him and headed out of the room with Sidious. The door closed shut behind them.

"I will take leave now, Maul. Go ahead and wake Arian." Sidious turned from Maul and headed down the right corridor.

"I will await your arrival, Master." Maul said. He turned to the left, making his way down the opposite corridor which led to Arian's room.

* * *

><p>Maul entered Arian's room. The lights were off, but Maul could clearly see Arian's sleeping form on the bed. The black bed sheets were over her halfway, leaving her upper torso and arms open. He saw she was wearing the red and black silk sleeping robe that had been in her closet.<p>

Without turning on the lights, he walked up to her and ripped the covers off of her small body, throwing them to the side. Arian's legs scrunched up from the cold, and she slowly opened her eyes. She moaned from tiredness and turned her head to look at who threw the covers from her.

"Get up." Maul commanded her, his voice sounding harsh and dominating. He kept his yes on hers and looked at her angrily.

Arian glared at him and laird her head back down. "I don't want to." She said.

Maul couldn't believe her ignorance. He wasn't going to let her disrespect him like that. He grabbed her arm, and before she had a chance to react, threw her from the bed and onto the hard floor.

Arian yelled out in surprise as she hit the floor. She got on her hands and knees, trying to get up. Her body felt almost paralyzed from waking up so suddenly. She looked up at Maul as she heavily breathed in and out.

"What the hell is your problem?" She shouted at him.

Maul walked closer to her, not uttering a single word. Arian continued to look up at him. He stared at her for a few more seconds before he sent his booted foot flying into her left shoulder.

Arian screamed in pain. Maul had kicked her directly in her wound that the Sand People had caused with their gun. She fell to her side and clutched her arm as the pain pulsed throughout her body.

"I told you to get up." Maul calmly said. He watched as Arian looked at him, still on her side. Anger filled her eyes.

Instead of doing as she was told, Arian put her hand out to use the Force on Maul. Maul bent down quickly and grabbed her hand, stunning her.

"You are stupid, girl. You should know by now that I can easily overpower you and predict every move you make before you make it. Why do you persist on disobeying me?" Maul's face was close to Arian's. He was trying to intimidate her.

Arian looked away and scowled. Maul grabbed her by the throat and forced her to look at him.

"You look at someone when they speak to you." Maul said in a deep, low whisper.

Arian looked into his eyes. She suddenly felt fear rise within her. She didn't know what to think or say.

Maul let go of her neck and stood up. They both continued to look at one another.

"…Now, I said get up." Maul calmly said. Arian decided to do as she was told. She knew in her heart he was right. He was stronger than her. She didn't want to get hit again, so she stood up. She still held her arm as it continued to hurt.

"You are starting your training today." Maul told her, looking at her.

"Training?" Arian asked. 'Sidious…' She thought. "Where is Master Sidious?"

"That's non of your concern." Maul told her. "He will be gone for a few weeks. In the meantime, I will train you."

"I don't need your training." Arian said. "I'm fine the way I am."

"It is not your decision to make. You WILL train, whether you like it or not." Maul told her. "Continue to disobey me…" Arian looked into his eyes. "…And I will kill you." She could tell he was serious. He turned from her, walking out of the room. "Get dressed. I will let you out when you are done."

Maul closed the door behind him. He waited for about five minutes by her room. He could hear Arian putting her clothes on through the door as they made rustling noises. He heard Arian knock on the door, signaling him that she had finished getting dressed. He opened the door and Arian stepped out. She wore the clothes that the droid had made for her, and her hair was tied the way she had tied it yesterday.

Maul looked at her. Arian kept her head down. She didn't want to look at Maul He could see a look of anger on her face.

"Come." Maul told her. He turned from Arian and started on his way to the training room.

Arian balled her fist in anger. She stood still a few moments, then follow behind Maul.

* * *

><p>They entered the training room. Arian looked around the large, seemingly empty area. The walls were a grey color, and there was a large glass window above the ceiling. It looked to be a room for observing anyone in the training room.<p>

Arian watched Maul press some buttons on a small panel near the entrance. Two large cylinders came out of the floor .

Maul stood and turned to Arian. "Try lifting the cylinders using the Force."

Arian looked at Maul in a dumbfounded manner. "You want me to lift those?" She asked. "They appear too heavy."

"Don't worry about that. The Force is strong. Do it." Maul told her.

'I hate being ordered around… Especially by him.' Arian thought as she walked over to the two cylinders.

Arian put her arms up and grunted as she used the Force to lift the enormous objects. Maul intently watched her. He wanted to know how strong her power was for someone who looked so weak.

The two cylinders vibrated slightly, and lifted a few inches from the ground. Arian's knees buckled in from the weight of the cylinders. She breathed out roughly from the strain.

'Impressive for a beginner…' Maul thought. 'But she must sharpen her natural ability…' He walked closer to her and stood behind her. "Keep them up. Try to lift them higher." He told her.

Sweat dripped from Arian's forehead. "They're… too… heavy!" She struggled to say. She couldn't hold them up anymore. The cylinders fell to the ground, and Arian fell to her knees.

"That was pathetic." Maul told her.

Arian turned around and looked at Maul, "You try lifting them!" She shouted.

Maul lifted his right hand up. He was still and calm. Arian watched as the cylinders were effortlessly raised into the air, then slowly set down. She growled in anger and jealously.

"You are angry." Maul said.

Arian stood up and turned to Maul. "Of course I'm angry!" She yelled at him.

"Direct your anger at the cylinders. Use it to lift them." Maul told her, his expression unchanging.

"…I …I don't…" Arian gripped her hands into fists "I don't want to listen to you!" She screamed. She ran towards Maul and punched at him violently. He dodged her, and punched her hard in the gut. She gripped at her aching abdomen and groaned in pain. She looked up at Maul, who hadn't even flinched.

"A weakling like you doesn't even deserve to be in my Master's presence." Maul told her. He sensed her anger rise even higher.

Arian growled at him loudly.

"You are useless. You are nothing. You will never amount to anything." Maul continued to put her down.

"I HATE YOU!" Arian screamed as loud as she could.

"Good. Hate feeds you. It makes you stronger. The more hate and anger you have in you, the more powerful you'll become." Maul explained. "Now use that hate. Lift the cylinders."

Arian let out heavy gasps and put her hands in front of her. She yelled out in anger and lifted the heavy cylinders. She looked at Maul and smiled. "You want me to use my hate…"

Maul stared at her. 'She channeled it correctly. She has it in her to do so.' He thought.

"…I'll use it on you!" Arian continued. She threw the cylinders at Maul. But they were too slow. Maul easily dodged them. The cylinders crashed into each other instead.

Arian felt the weight drop from her hand. She began catching her breath. Maul walked up to her.

"See? Once you channeled it, you were able to lift them. Even throw them." Maul explained. He watched Arian continue to catch her breath. Arian looked up at him.

"Go straight to hell, Maul." Arian told him.

Maul smirked. 'Such hate.' He thought. 'But no respect.' He punched her in the head. Arian fell to the ground. Tears of pain swelled up in her eyes, and her bottom lip dripped fresh blood.

"The pain you went through on Tatooine is nothing compared to what I'll put you through." Maul told her, watching her try to stand up. "If you call me by my name, you will attach 'Lord' to it. Understand?"

Arian tried her best to stand up, but Maul stepped down on her back, pushing her hard onto the floor. 'So stubborn.' Maul thought.

Arian could barely breath from the weight that Maul put on her. She struggled to answer him. "I… understand…"

"Say it." Maul commanded her. He pressed harder down on her.

Arian felt humiliated. Her tears fell down her cheeks. 'It hurts… It hurts!' She yelled in her mind. She felt like she was being crushed. She knew she had no other choice but to say it. "I… understand… Lord… Maul."

Maul removed his foot from Arian's body. He watched as she soughed hard and gasped for air. "Stand." He told her.

Arian stood up, almost tumbling back down from the pain. She looked at Maul, waiting for him to tell her what to do next.

"Remember. Channel your anger and hate. Always use it to your advantage. If you have those feelings, don't waste them like the Jedi. Focus them on your opponent." Maul watched her reactions. "If you do that, you will be formidable."

"…Yes, Lord Maul." Arian felt weak and irritated having to call him that. She didn't mind saying it to Sidious since he was so nice to her, but she hated saying it to Maul. She hated Maul. She hated him since the day she met him. Hated the way he treated her, hated the things he said to her, hated everything about him. She hated him with a burning passion.

Maul walked passed her, heading out the door. "Follow me. You will begin meditation."

Arian sighed angrily, but did as she was told. She followed Maul and walked beside him. Maul looked at her, but Arian continued to look forward. "You may hate me, girl. But you will respect me."

Arian turned her eyes to Maul's listening to what he had to say.

"If you decide to not respect me, I will make your life a living hell. You will suffer through more pain than you could possibly imagine, and much more than you will suffer through with your training alone. You can be sure of that." Maul waited for her to answer.

"Yes, Lord Maul…" Arian knew that was all she could say.

Maul turned his gaze from her and looked forward. Arian did the same.

'Maybe I was better off on Tatooine.' Arian thought. 'At least there I didn't have to take orders from Maul.' She looked down, feeling confused. '…But it would've been just the same there… Everyday… For the rest of my life.' She looked back up. 'He's right about one thing, though. I can focus my hate. I won't waste it, unlike the Jedi… And when I'm strong enough…' Arian inwardly smirked. 'I'll kill Maul.'

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I appreciate that you guys like my fanfic, but if you're going to favorite it, I'd appreciate a review on each chapter, please. I know, I'm a review whore. Sorry about that. Lolz. I just really like to know what you all think of it so far. To Aaylakit - Thanks! Yeah, I did kind of just throw her whole description together… I did the same thing with Maul in this chapter… I'm not good on describing character's appearances… ^^'. About Maul speaking… yep, I'm trying my best to keep him in character. I know he doesn't speak very much. He only does when he feels the need to. To A Penny Dreadful - As you can tell, Arian hates Maul's guts right now. But, that will change later on in the story. You (and all the other readers) will find out why. I don't want to spoil it. ^_^ Everyone, please tell me what you think so far. Tell me your opinion on Arian's hated towards Maul, and what you think of her so far, and what you think of the story.<strong>

**P.S We all know that Arian isn't going to kill Maul… But what makes her change her mind? Find out in future chapters!**

**P.S.S I am going to be moving in a few days. I don't know when, or if I'll have internet. But, I AM going to continue writing this fanfic. Whenever I get the chance (if I don't have internet right away), I can go to a café or something that does have internet, and upload new chapters.**


	5. Chapter 5: Flinching

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 5: Flinching

Maul led Arian to a small, darkened room. Everything was so quiet, quiet to the point that Arian could hear her own heartbeat. The silence seemed to give off a very relaxed, serene feeling.

Maul walked to the middle of the room. Arian stayed near the door and watched him. Maul turned his head over his shoulder and looked at Arian. "Come, and sit."

Arian walked over to him, all the while Maul watched her. Once she stood next to him, Maul sat down and crossed his legs in a meditative position. Arian did as he said and sat next to him the same way.

Maul looked at Arian. "Meditating every day will help you to gain focus, calm yourself, and build control over your Force."

Arian looked at Maul and forced herself to listen to him. She knew she had no control over the situation. But she wanted more than anything to not listen to him.

"You can also focus on your anger. Instead of lashing out like a wild animal, focus it on your target. Direct it at your opponent, like I told you earlier." Maul turned his head back forward. "Now do as I do."

Arian watched as Maul closed his eyes and gently rest his hands on his knees. She copied him and did the same. Maul slowly breathed in and out of his nose.

"Focus on your breathing. Clear your mind. Try to not think of anyone or anything. This is how the meditation process begins." Maul told her in a low, relaxed voice.

Arian slowly breathed in and out of her nose, trying to calm herself. But her mind wasn't clear. She began to think about random things, such as how long meditation would take, when she could eat, what Maul would teach her next… She found it harder than she expected to clear her mind of thoughts.

Maul could sense that Arian was having trouble clearing her thoughts. "Try to think of a black, empty space." He told her, keeping his meditative position. "It's hard at first, but you'll slowly get used to it."

Arian did what he told her, and started thinking of black emptiness.

After a few minutes, Arian's mind became clear. Her entire body relaxed, and she breathed in steady rhythms. Her and Maul's calm breaths synced together as they continued to meditate.

In her relaxed state, Arian didn't even notice that three hours had passed. Maul opened his eyes and looked at her. He looked her up and down, noticing her thinness. He remembered what his Master had told him.

"We are done with meditation for today." Maul told her. Arian opened her eyes and looked at him, wondering what he would have her do next. "You must eat." Maul stood up. Arian smiled to herself. 'Finally! Food!' She thought. 'One good thing about being here and not on Tatooine… I don't have to hunt for food!'

"Come. We shall eat." Maul stood up and began walking over to the door. Arian followed him. She knew they were going to the dining room.

* * *

><p>Maul and Arian sat at the table in the same seats they were in the night before in the dining room. Maul had ordered the droid to make them food.<p>

Arian looked at her hands as she sat and waited at the table. She was unsure of what to say or how to act. Maul watched her, curious about a few things. After minutes of silence, Maul decided to ask her what he was thinking.

"Girl." Maul said, getting Arian's attention.

Arian looked at him. "Yeah?" She asked.

"You said yesterday that you didn't know what a Zabrak or a Dathomirian was. Why did you not know?" Maul asked her as he tried to read her expressions.

"Well…" Arian began explaining herself. "I didn't know because I never actually saw any. I also couldn't find any books on many of the other races, and not every race visits Tatooine. And since I can't remember anything except for the past four years since I had been on Tatooine, I don't know who or what I had ever encountered before I arrived to Tatooine."

'That explains it…' Maul thought.

The droid came into the dining room with the food Maul had ordered it make. It sat the plates down in front of Maul and Arian. Maul ordered the droid to leave once he had finished setting up their food.

Maul and Arian began to eat. Arian didn't eat as fast as she had the day before since she had eaten a normal meal before she went to sleep. She wasn't starving, but she still felt hungry.

It had been about fifteen minutes until Arian and Maul finished their food. Throughout the time they ate, they didn't say a word to each other. Every few moments they would glance at each other, but that was it. Maul wiped his mouth and looked at Arian. "Everyday you're going to read for two hours on the other races and planets." He told her.

'Oh, great…' Arian thought.

"I will watch you study to make sure you are not slacking. Whenever you slack off, you will get electro-shocked. Understand?" Maul continued.

Arian paused and sighed. "…Yes, Lord." She said, feeling even more hatred and annoyance towards him.

"…But right now, you will start your physical training. After that will follow your studies." Maul stood up and motioned for Arian to follow him. Arian stood up and walked over to Maul.

Maul led Arian back to the training room.

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><p>Arian watched Maul as he demonstrated the dodging movements he wanted Arian to do. After repeating the exercise four times to keep Arian's memory of each movement fresh, he stopped and motioned his hand towards her. "Stand in front of me."<p>

Arian, without verbal complaint, walked over to her Lord and stood face to face with him. She awaited for his commands.

"Repeat what I showed you." He told her. "Show me that you memorized it."

Arian frowned but nodded. She quickly moved her left arm in front of her, then extended her right arm out with her palm flat. She bent over slightly and guarding her abdomen by extending her left arm downward, and stood back up as she placed her arms in front of her chest with her hands closed into fists.

'Easily remembered.' Maul thought. "Do it again." He commanded her.

Arian repeated the exercise, then stopped.

"Again." Maul told her, focusing on her movements.

Arian once again repeated the exercise and stopped.

'Good at memorizing… But how will she fair against something unexpected?' Maul wondered. He kept his expressions clear so she wouldn't be able to read him. "Once more."

Arian began repeating the exercise again, but as she extended her right arm in front of her, Maul punched outward in from of her face. But he didn't make contact with her. Arian flinched and let out a small gasp.

'Flinched…' Maul thought as he remembered the punishment Sidious bestowed upon him when he first flinched when he was a child. He remembered the dinkos had sprayed venom in his eyes, and he had flinched from the pain. A few weeks later Sidious punished him by locking him in his room in the dark with many dinkos hiding inside. He had been forced to defend himself against them all without a weapon and no light to see. All because he flinched one time. But he learned from his mistake.

Maul quickly grabbed Arian's left wrist gripping it painfully tight. He spun her around for her back to face him and held her small body against his in a grapple. He twisted her arm behind her back and grasped her neck with his free hand. All of it was done within less than a second.

Arian felt so surprised at Maul's sudden grapple that she flinched again as he held her in place. Since everything happened so fast, she couldn't even swallow in her surprise, or even think. Her body reacted on it's own from instinct.

Maul bent his head down to her ear. "You flinched." He said in a quiet, calm voice. With his voice so low, it was actually more fearsome than a loud scream or a yell. That deep rumble from his voice emanated a strong darkness. A darkness that only Siths could have.

Arian felt her heart pound in fear. She hated feeling afraid. She rarely felt dear, but because of her painful experience with Maul in the morning, she had reason to feel afraid.

Maul paused after telling Arian of her mistake. He held her in place.

Arian could feel Maul's hot breath hit her neck. Her eyes stayed open in fear as he held her. Her attention became jittered and she started focusing on her rapid heartbeat, then on Maul's own heartbeat. She could feel his heart beat calmly beneath his chest against her back. She compared her fast heartbeats with Maul's slow ones. She wondered how he was always able to stay so calm.

Maul sensed Arian's fear. He wondered how she would react if her started bending her arm. He tightened his grip on her tiny wrist, and began bending her arm backward. He kept his other hand on her throat so she couldn't escape his grasp.

Arian's body began shivering from the intense pain that swelled in her arm as Maul bent it. She felt even more fearful of him, and fearful from knowing that he was going to break her arm. A painful gasp escaped her lips as she bent her head back and squinted her eyes in pain.

Maul looked at Arian's face from the side of her shoulder. His breath continued to hit her neck. He enjoyed watching her pained expressions. He bent her arm even more and heard it start to crack. He watched as Arian started rapidly inhaling and exhaling from the pain, and then let out a small cry. Tears then fell down her pale cheeks. But she didn't say a word.

"Aren't you going to beg me to stop?" Maul asked, almost tauntingly.

Arian gritted her teeth from the horrible pain. "Never!" She said in a quickened voice.

Maul smirked. "So, you do have some sense of honor."

'He's testing me…' Arian thought.

Maul then did something that Arian would've never expected.

…He let her go. He didn't break it.

He threw Arian away from him, and she fell to the ground on her hands and knees. She gasped and stared at the ground, her eyes wide with surprise.

Maul stood and looked at her hold her arm, the one he almost broke. "You're lucky I went easy on you." He told her.

Arian turned her head to him but stayed on the ground.

"Never flinch again. Do you understand." He told her.

Arian paused for a lone while, then answered him. "…Yes, my Lord."

Maul walked next to her as she stayed on the floor. "Never flinch. It shows weakness. Never show weakness to your opponent, for it will be your downfall."

Arian looked at the floor and started thinking to herself. 'He didn't break it… I felt so scared he would.'

"You were afraid, girl. Afraid I would break your arm. But you didn't beg. If you had begged, I would have broken it. Instead, you kept silent." Maul reached his hand out to her. "You seem to feel some sort of honor."

Arian remembered back when the lady on Tatooine had offered her water when she was wounded. There was a reason she hadn't accepted it and was mean to her. She felt it showed weakness. She didn't like begging, and she didn't like being pitied. She found it shameful. She had accepted Sidious courteousy though, because she knew he wasn't doing what he did for her out of pity. Since she had found out he was a Sith, she just became more interested. Especially since he told her she could leave Tatooine. It just so happened that when Sidious took her in, he allowed her food and shelter.

Arian turned back to him and saw that his hand was extended to her. This surprised her most of all. She looked at his hand, then back at him. He still kept his hand out. Arian timidly reached out and took his hand. Maul slowly pulled Arian to her feet.

"Continue to act honorable. In doing so, you'll experience less pain." Maul looked at her then turned.

Arian knew he would tell her to follow him, so she walked with him without him having to say so.

Maul noticed Arian followed him without him telling her to. 'She will slowly learn.' He thought.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I know this chapter seemed similar to chapter 4, but as you can tell, the ending played a role of showing how both Maul and Arian feel towards the honor concept. Also, the memory part with Maul when he flinches and gets venom sprayed in his eyes by the dinkos is official. It's in the book, "The wrath of Darth Maul". BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ! Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter. I hope I did well on it. I'll start chapter 6 as soon as possible! ^_^<strong>

**P.S I can't wait for the Clone Wars episode that has Maul in it this Friday, can you? Woot! I'm so excited! :D He's totally gonna be a psycho maniac. I mean, come on, who wouldn't after being cut in half and trapped on Loth Minor for 10 years? I wanna see how him and Savage react to each other SO MUCH! By the way, I know of this information by reading, "The wrath of Darth Maul". It's in the end of the book, and is based from the script from the episode, "Brothers" in Star Wars the Clone Wars.**


	6. Chapter 6: Obsession

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 6: Obsession

Arian braced herself against the hard stone wall of the training room. Sweat dripped from her pale forehead as she heavily panted in and out.

"Again. You're getting better." Maul told her. He stood with his arms crossed as he kept his gaze on Arian's worn out form.

Two weeks had passed since Sidious had brought Arian to Coruscant. Maul trained her brutally everyday since. He made sure she didn't miss even one minute of her training. He wanted his dear Master to see how well he trained the young Dathomirian. Arian had gained much weight in the two weeks. She no longer looked pencil thin, but instead a normal healthy 105 pounds. She had also gained a bit of muscle due to her physical training everyday. Yet, her body still looked slender and petite, not very curvy. But it seemed to be natural for her height and body shape.

…But even with the her physical improvement, her mind felt almost broken. She had never been through anything as harsh in her life. The training Maul forced her to endure was almost unbearable. She trained her Force and physical battling and dodging continuously, day after day, with almost no rest. She felt like she was on the brink of insanity. Even living in the severe environment that was Tatooine was nothing compared to what Maul put her through. At least on Tatooine she could rest when she pleased and easily go and hunt for food. But here with Maul, a man whom she had to treat like he was her Master, she couldn't catch even a single break.

Arian pushed herself from the wall. She backed up to repeat the exercise. She ran towards the wall, jumped on it, ran up it, then catapulted herself from it, back flipping from it's hard surface. She had been repeating the exercise over and over for more than two hours. Her heart beat rapidly from the strenuous training, and her body shook from the pain in her aching muscles.

Maul watched Arian land after the last back flip. "Enough." He suddenly commanded her as he kept his calm posture. He looked down at Arian as she fell on one knee to the ground. She propped herself on her right knee and right arm.

Fast gasps escaped her small lips as she tried to catch her breath. Her breathing cam through her throat so fast that it caused her voice to mix with her panting, making her voice sound like she was pleading without words. She scrunched her eyebrows together from exhaust and pain. With her head facing the floor, her sweat fell from her face and hit the ground.

"Master Sidious will be pleased to see how much you have improved." Maul told her as he loomed over her exhausted form. Arian felt so tired from the training that she couldn't look at Maul, or even respond to him.

Maul noticed how filthy Arian was from the training. Her clothes were ripped, she was drenched in sweat, and her body had multiple bruises and cuts. "Go and clean yourself." He told her, tilting his head towards the door.

Arian did as he told her. From the intense two weeks of living under his rule, she knew there would be punishment if she did not obey. She wobbled as she stood up, almost falling forward from weakness. Her legs burned with each step she forced herself to take. Every fiber of her muscles were sore. She had felt the most exhausted today than she had any other day in the past two weeks. Maul had, for some reason, trained her the hardest on this day. Her body was so physically exhausted from the training, it began causing her mind to feel like she was either dreaming or drugged. She could barely see straight, and everything seemed to blur.

Maul watched Arian slowly trudge towards the door. He smiled to himself as he saw how weak she looked. He knew he had been training her well. He could tell by her physical outlook. But what about inside? She seemed to be obeying him more than she had when she first arrived. But he wanted to break her will completely. Wanted her to completely succumb to the dark side. He could feel that it would be a difficult task. The girl was stubborn and very free-spirited. Much more than he initially thought. But he believed in himself. His Master taught him so much. Enough for him to pass it on to another. Besides, breaking the will of the stubborn Dathomirian would be a fun challenge.

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><p>Arian stood naked inside of the shower room. Her bare feet tapped on the white tile as she entered the porcelain shower. She bent forward from pain as she closed the glass sliding door, then quickly turned the water all the way to hot. Right before the water came through the shower head, Arian fell to the tile and leaned against the cold wall.<p>

The soothing warm water hit Arian's sore, pale skin. This was one of the only times she had time to relax. The only other time was during sleep. Arian closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she tried to relax. But all she could think about was Maul.

'I hate him… I hate him… I hate him…' Was all she could think. She gritted her teeth in anger and balled her hands into tight fists. She continued to focus on her growing hatred fir him. She let out an annoyed growl the more she thought about him.

Arian curled her knees to her chest and hugged herself in a fetal position. "I want to kill him… I want to make him suffer the way he makes me suffer!" She said to herself, complete rage in her voice. "But I'm too weak!" She yelled as she banged her fist on the tile.

She had been thinking this for the past two weeks. It's all she had on her mind. It started to become an obsession for her. She would dream it, wake up to it, meditate about it. Every minute, her hate for Maul lingered on her mind.

"I want to grow stronger… Strong enough to kill him." She told herself as she continued to hug her knees to her.

Little did Arian know, Maul had been standing near the bathroom the entire time. He heard every word she said. He chuckled to himself in a low voice. 'Hate me. Give into your hate. Give into your desire to want to kill me. By doing so, you succumb to the dark side… And you succumb to me. Get stronger and serve my Master and I. My grasp on you continues to tighten the more your anger and rage grow.' Maul thought to himself, but thought as if he were speaking directly to her.

Maul began sensing a familiar presence. He turned from the door and stared down the hallway that led to the hanger bay. "Master." He spoke aloud.

* * *

><p>Maul walked with Sidious out of the hanger bay. He stood next to him as they walked, his pace matching that of his Master's. Sidious was still dressed in his senatorial clothes. Without even turning his head, Sidious began to speak.<p>

"What has become of Arian?" Sidious' face stayed expressionless.

Maul looked at his Master. "She has grown, Master. Her weight is normal and she is physically stronger."

"And her attitude?" Sidious turned his head towards Maul. He was the most curious about Arian's personality.

"She's become more…" Maul paused before continuing his sentence. "…Obedient."

Sidious smiled. "You say that as if you're unsure."

Maul smiled back. "She is more obedient and respectful, Master. I made sure of that."

Sidious turned his head forward towards the hallway. "So you used force, then? Trained her to the brink?"

"Yes, Master. She's grown more hate inside her heart. She despises me, and that's all she thinks about. To the point that she wants me dead. It is making her stronger everyday." Maul explained.

Sidious smirked and continued looking down the hallway. "I've taught you well, Maul."

Maul nodded agreeingly.

* * *

><p>Sidious and Maul reached a door near the end of the hallway. Sidious entered the room, Maul opening the door for his Master. Maul entered after.<p>

The room was filled with electronic equipment and a large monitoring screen. Maul stood beside Sidious and turned on the screen. Static played across it.

"I have recorded out sessions, Master." Maul told him as he pressed a few buttons near the monitor. A video recording of Maul training Arian appeared.

About thirty minutes passed. Maul showed Sidious every recording he had of his training sessions with Arian. But instead of showing him every minute of their training, he only showed him important parts. Such as every time Arian acted out, Maul punishing her, and her obeying him.

"I see…" Sidious eyed the recordings. "She does seem to have calmed down a bit. But I still sense bite in her…" Sidious turned to Maul. "What is she up to now?"

Maul turned off the recordings, then pressed different buttons. A video of Arian laying on her bed asleep appeared. Sidious looked at the screen puzzlingly.

"I set up a live video and sond recorder in her room, Master. I did so because I thought you may want to observe her and how she acts when she's not training under me." Maul explained as he himself stared at the screen.

Sidious could tell by Arian's bruises and cuts that Maul had did a wonderful job on his first two weeks of teaching her. He could also tell by how soundly she slept. She was exhausted.

"Good that you set this up. I will study her habits, and you may as well. It may help you learn other training she'll require." Sidious said.

"…Maul… Dammit… I hate you…" Sidious overheard Arian talk in her sleep through the monitor. He smirked and looked at Maul.

"It seems like she wants to release her anger…" Sidious said in a quiet voice.

"How do you suppose she does that, Master?" Maul asked as he turned from the monitor to look at Sidious.

Sidious turned and walked towards the door. "We put what training you've given her to the test. But for now, allow her to rest. She should be in good health in a few days. Once she's recovered her strength, I'll do what I did to you as a child, Maul. Except this time will be her first test, and easier than what you went through."

Maul looked perplexed. "You want her to survive on her own for a month or more on a desolate planet?"

Sidious grinned. "Not desolate, exactly. I want you to stay on the planet with her and monitor her without your presence being noticed."

Maul remembered something. "But she survived on her own on Tatooine, Master…" He told him.

Sidious quietly laughed. "Yes she survived, but with the aid of others. Whether she wants to admit it or not, she was almost only able to survive because of the inhabitants on Tatooine. She didn't want their help, but she sometimes accepted it begrudgingly. She should learn some real survival tactics instead of relying on others."

Maul looked to the ground. 'Surviving on your own… If you can't do that, then you're not even worth the time or effort.' He thought. He looked back up at Sidious.

"For now we can all rest." Sidious said calmly. He walked out the door and his apprentice followed him.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I'm sorry I took so long to update. I've been very busy with work, and I got in a car accident with my husband and we're having to deal with that. Don't worry, we're both okay. Lol Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter. I know it's short, but it's the best that I could think of at the time. It'll get better through time, I believe. Also, the chapters will probably get longer and there will be more action (and romance! :D) later on as Arian develops. <strong>

**P.S I saw the Clone Wars season 4 finale! I LOVED IT! Maul was perfect and completely in character. When he killed the kids and the innocent people it was so epic… And the stuff he said to Savage right after he got his metal legs was so sad… I just want to hug him! XD**


	7. Chapter 7: Domination aspect

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

**Author's Note: To anyone reading this, this fanfic take place before Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 7: Domination aspect

Arian opened her almond-shaped eyes as she awoke. Her body still ached from the training the previous day. She didn't move. Instead she only lay there, still resting herself but without falling back asleep.

But something felt… different. She felt reenergized. And she woke up on her own without Maul forcing her to. 'Where is he?' She thought.

That's when she heard her door open. 'Speak of the devil.' She thought sarcastically. She sat up to look at him.

Arian's eyes widened as she looked at the one who stood in front of her. She was surprised to see that it wasn't Maul, but instead Sidious. He was clothed in his Sith robes, but without his hood covering his head. "Master…" Arian said in a surprised voice.

Sidious smiled at her like a kind old man. He walked over to Arian. Arian stood up from the bed. She was still wearing her red and black silk sleeping robe.

"You look so different, my dear." Sidious told her. Even though he had already known that the night prior, he felt he should tell her so she wouldn't suspect him already knowing.

"Lord Maul…" Arian hated having to call him that. "…Has been training me everyday since you left, Master."

"I could tell." Was all Sidious said in response.

There was a short pause between the two of them. Then Sidious turned around. "Get dressed, Arian. We shall all eat." He left the room.

'Eat?' Arian wondered, still standing beside the bed. 'But every morning when I wake up the first thing I do is train.' She walked over to her closet to get a new outfit. She had thrown away the other one from yesterday since it was so torn. Thankfully, she had many replicas of the same clothes.

After Arian put on her clothes she thought to herself for a few seconds and smiled. 'But I'm not complaining!' She was happy that Master Sidious was back. Maybe he was the reason why she wasn't forced into training this morning. She felt more comfortable being in Sidious' presence instead of Maul's.

Sidious could sense Arian's contented attitude through the door. He smiled to himself in an evil manner. 'You don't have a clue that I'm the one pulling the strings, here.' He opened the door for Arian and his facial expressions returned to normal.

He and Arian walked to the dining room together.

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><p>For the next three days, Arian was able to relax and not train. The only thing she did training-wise was meditate with Maul. She felt the most happy these days. She didn't have to stress herself with training. She would wake up in the morning, eat breakfast with Sidious and Maul, meditate for a few hours, then do basically whatever.<p>

Maul barely said a word to Arian in the three days. He knew she knew her daily routine, except without training. He would watch as his Master was so kind to her, and each time he saw, he would inwardly laugh. He felt it funny that Arian was so relaxed around Master Sidious, and the whole time she didn't know of the plan that he was setting up. The plan for her to survive on her own for a month on a deserted planet.

Whenever Maul would mediate with Arian, he could sense the intense hate she felt for him. It made him somewhat happy, though. Because he knew she was playing right into his hands. The more she pulled away, the more the chains on her tightened. And she didn't even realize it. Maul felt excited, even though he never expressed it, to see how she would fare on her own in the wild. He wanted to see her suffer… the way he suffered since childhood.

Maul patiently waited for the day to arrive that he would drop Arian off on the planet and her be left to fend for herself. And that day came none too soon.

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><p>Sidious and Maul were awake late at night. Sidious stood in front of his apprentice as he gave Maul the order to put his plan into motion. Maul nodded and headed to get Arian and take her to board the Scimitar.<p>

Maul walked into Arian's room and was careful to not make even the smallest sound. It was about three in the morning. Arian slept peacefully, more peaceful than she was used to. Maul quietly got a spare change of clothes from her closet. He would have her put them on before he dropped her off from the planet.

He then walked over to Arian and stood near the head of her bed. He looked at her face as she slept serenely. He took a black blindfold from the inside of his robes and held it near her head. His free hand moved slowly towards her face, then rapidly came down on her mouth. Arian's eyes shot open and she grabbed Maul's hand out of instinct. She struggled as she tried to force him off of her.

"Be still." Maul said calmly. Using the Force, he flipped Arian over on her back and held her down.

"What are you doing?" Arian yelled frantically.

Maul lifted Arian's head by her hair. She let out a pained yell as he did so. Maul then took the blindfold and tightly wrapped it around her eyes.

Taking Arian by the wrists, he pulled her from the bed and held her wrists behind her back. He forced her to stand up and walk with him as he led her out the door.

Arian had no idea what was going on. "W-What is this? What did I do?" She shouted.

"A test." Maul answered using as few amount of words as possible.

Maul stopped on the turbolift with Arian. He held her in place so she wouldn't fall.

'A test? What kind of test is blindfolding someone when they're asleep and leading them around a building?' Arian screamed in her mind. Then she remembered. 'Oh yeah, this is Lord Maul I'm dealing with…'

Maul led Arian up the ramp to the Scimitar. He held her wrists behind her the entire time he set the coordinates on the navi-computer to the abandoned planet, turned on the cloaking device, and even as he awaited the starship to arrive there.

Arian stood, still being held down by Maul. She could feel a strange sensation of movement, and that's when she figured that he was taking her somewhere using the Scimitar. 'But where?' She thought. 'And for what reason?' Then she remembered that Maul said it was a test… 'No… Not when everything was going so well…' She bit her teeth down in irritation and stomped her foot on the ground. 'Damn…'

Maul watched her anger stir up. 'You really thought that peacefulness was going to last? Not with a Sith.' He smiled and looked ahead of him out of the cockpit's window. He could see that they were near the planet's atmosphere.

* * *

><p>The planet was unnamed. It had many different animals and creatures on it, many of them carnivorous, but no intelligent life. Most of the planet looked like a desert, except for a few oasis' that lie randomly spread out on it. There were also a few mountains and caves.<p>

Scimitar began it's descent upon the nameless planet. When it touched down on the light-brown colored earth, Maul turned off the cloaking and opened the boarding ramp. He had landed on the side of the planet that was currently lit by the sun. On Coruscant, it was currently late at night. But on the side of the planet he landed on, it was bright and sunny.

"Move." He commanded Arian as he dragged her down the ramp. Arian walked with him. If she didn't walk out on command, Maul would only drag her by force.

When they reached the bottom of the ramp, Maul threw her from his grasp without him even stepping off into the sand. Arian grunted as she landed on her hands and knees into the sand. She quickly snatched her blindfold from her eyes and stood up, turning to glare at Maul.

Before Arian even had a chance to ask, Maul spoke. "You are to survive on your own for one month. All you have with you is the knowledge that you have acquired from my teachings." Maul turned from Arian to re-enter Scimitar. "I do hope for your sake that you've been paying attention enough to your studies. If not then you won't stand a chance." He continued with his back turned to her.

Arian spit to the side and looked at Maul sneeringly. "That's fine, my Lord!" She said that in a sarcastic way. "I can survive perfectly on my own! It's something I'm accustomed to!"

Maul continued to walk without looking back or saying a word. He remembered what Master Sidious had told him about Arian surviving on Tatooine with people's help. 'No… You're accustomed to the aid of others. Try actually surviving… the Sith way.' He entered Scimitar and piloted it, making it ascend into the air.

Arian watched as Scimitar hung in the air. As the starship left, she felt overjoyed. She jumped up in the air delightfully shouting, "Woo hoo!". She put her hands on her hips and stared into the sky where Maul had left. "Yes! A month on my own without him around! Good riddance! I needed a break!" She calmed herself and continued looking into the sky. "This should be an easy test." She said confidently.

* * *

><p>Maul turned the cloaking back on Scimitar. He had only flew far enough so that Arian wouldn't see him turning back and landing in a different location on the planet. He landed about 100 miles off from where he had dropped her at.<p>

He stepped out of Scimitar and looked around the desert planet. He pressed a few buttons on his comlink. One round ball-shaped droid flew out of Scimitar and behind him. It was black and had a long antenna sticking out from atop it. It was used for spying. Maul set the droid to watch her from afar so it would be unseen. He was going to use the droid to watch Arian and her behavior, and how she would fend for herself. But of course, every once and a while he would travel to watch her with his own eyes instead of only relying on the droid.

Maul watched the droid fly off into the distance. He walked back into Scimitar and turned on a monitor which showed whatever the droid saw live. He was very curious what she would do on her first day.

"Now all I have to do is find a nearby village and I can…" Arian looked at her surroundings.

But all she could see was sand…

And more sand…

And some rocks…

Arian's expressions turned to slight worry. But she didn't loose her confidence. "I don't need his stupid teachings!" She loudly said as she kicked a small stone that was near her foot.

Arian turned and decided to start walking in a random direction of her choosing. Since she couldn't see anything within her surroundings, she had no other choice. She knew the first thing she would need to find is shelter. 'Maybe a cave or something I can sleep in…' She thought.

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><p>Four hours passed. Arian had found nothing. The sun was beating down on her, but she didn't feel all that tired. Just very… hot… And a little thirsty. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. She looked up into the sky and saw that nightfall wasn't even close yet. The sun was still high up, and at it's hottest since it was only noon time.<p>

Maul had been watching her for the past four hours. He continued to watch her intently. He could sense denial in her. He knew that she knew in her heart that the test wasn't going to be easy.

Arian continued walking. She looked into the distance and saw a large, dark-brown structure. She assumed it to be either a cave or a mountain. 'Shelter.' She thought. She ran towards the cave, happy and ready to sit in it's cool shade.

'Oh, so she finally found one.' Maul thought. He clasped his hands together under his chin as he rested his head on them. 'But don't be so hasty.'

Arian entered the cave. The deeper she went into it, the darker it seemed to get. And colder. Arian sat and rested herself against the cave wall. The cave's coolness that emanated from the wall hit her skin, which caused her to let out a long sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and relaxed.

Maul watched, through the droid, Arian relax against the wall. The droid turned in the direction of a small creature that scurried on the dark floor. Arian didn't seem to notice or even hear it.

'Dinkos…' Maul thought. He had enough experience with Dinkos to know how painful their bites can be.

Unaware to Arian, the Dinko crawled over to her. She continued to lay with her eyes closed, until she felt a sharp, searing pain cut into her thigh. She leaped up from the suddenness and pain as she yelled out and tried to pull whatever was latching to her thigh off of her.

She clawed at the creature, finally able to rip it from her and throw it hard against the wall. She heard a rat-like yell come from it, and felt a weird liquid hit her skin. The liquid gave off a revolting, nauseating smell which made her gag.

That's when she remembered one of her studies with Maul. She had learned about many different animals, and she knew from her studies that what bit her and gave off such a disgusting smell from it's venom was a Dinko. Dinkos would usually be together in hordes, and would attack simultaneously.

Arian knew she couldn't stay in the nice, cool cave any longer. If she did, she would be ravaged by the rat-like animals. She ran from the cave as fast as she could. Even when she reached the outside of the cave, she continued to run further and further. She didn't want the Dinkos to come after her. She had to escape them.

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><p>Arian reached the middle of the desert once again. And she had no where to rest. There was no shade to sit in and no shelter near by. Not any that she could see, at least. And the sun was still terribly hot. She would have to search for something, anything, to reside on.<p>

Maul never left his seat. He watched her the entire time. He thought back to when his Master had tested him the same way when he left him to survive on Hypori. That was the test he had put him through that would make him a Sith. What Arian was going through was nothing compared to what happened to him on Hypori. Maul could barely get any sleep when he was being subjected to that cruel, harsh test. He was worried every second of ever day that the Assassin droids that Sidious had set up there would kill him. They were non-stop, relentless. And he barely had any food to survive. He had been living off of raw meat from anything that he could kill. Even the creatures there were scarce. He had thought he would loose his mind from starvation and the pain the droid inflicted upon him.

And then his Master came to him. He tested him by saying that he had another apprentice and that Maul was nothing. It angered him the most. He had devoted himself, his entire being to Sidious. And so what he said made him want to kill him more than anything. Sidious continued to taunt him over and over. And then Maul attacked… He attacked from anger, hate, rage, frustration… He wanted the death of his Master, and he wanted to be the one to cause it.

And because of it, he passed his test. He became a Sith. Sidious' chains on Maul had locked, and Maul could never escape. He had delivered himself directly into his Master's hands, without even realizing it. But even though he knew he could never escape his grasp, he felt a sweet sensation of relief, acceptance, and loyalty. Because he became what he had strived so long for to become… A Lord of the Sith.

As Maul watched Arian walking across the desert, her body beginning to look tired from the heat and the Dinko's attack, he remembered something else his Master told him. Something that he said directly before he was pronounced a Sith Lord. His Master's words echoed in his mind. "You still hate me. No matter. Today you have delivered yourself into my hands. I have the power of life and death over you, Maul. Someday you will hold that power over another. You will devote yourself to the idea of domination."

As he thought this, he continued to watch Arian on the monitor. She still strode across the hot desert, not once stopping. And he began thinking of her and how she is training under him.

He thought that he would one day, maybe even soon, have that domination over her. He would be the Master and not just the apprentice. He would have that ruling power over the young girl. She would be his apprentice, she would serve him, she would honor him. She would be his to own and his only.

The idea of having that dominating power over another excited him more than anything. He now not only wanted to break her will, but he also looked forward to having her be his apprentice. He would, for once, be the one in control.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I think this chapter is the best one I've written so far, because of the ending. But I want to know what you readers think. Give me in good detail what you thought of the ending, and the chapter overall. I worked very hard on this chapter (well, I work hard on all of the chapters lol). I got the quotes and the backstory of Maul becoming a Sith from the book, "The Wrath of Darth Maul". I disclaim the story and quotes, since I didn't make them. I just used them here in my fanfic. Anyway, here are some replies to some of your reviews… I'm very happy that most of you are please with my character and how I'm portraying her and Maul. This is probably the best fanfic I've ever written so far, and I'm putting the most work into it compared to any other fanfic I've ever wrote. And I'm glad that some of you like my writing style. I do understand though that my grammar isn't very good. But I try to explain things in the story the best I possibly can. I love writing this fanfic, and I have SO MANY ideas on some future chapters. Everyone can definitely expect to see more chapters in the future! And as of now, the story will continue to grow deeper and even better!<strong>

**.P.S To AaylaKit: I like Cad Bane. He's probably only bounty hunter I really like. lol**


	8. Chapter 8: Slowly learning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 8: Slowly learning

Nightfall eventually came. Arian had walked for hours in the desert heart. Her throat felt parched, and she felt hungry. She had not yet found any food or shelter. She sighed to herself as she strode along.

"Sand… Sand… Sand… Is there anything else but sand out here?" She asked herself. She continued to look forward into the vast desert.

Maul continued to watch her on the monitor. He rest his head to the side on his hand in a bored manner. He sighed to himself.

Arian stopped walking. She lifted her head to look at the stars. The sky was pitch black, but the stars and the planet's two moons kept the sky lit. A slow wind blew her hair across her face. She sighed as she stared into the sky.

Maul kept his bored position. But in his mind he felt slightly curious what Arian was thinking.

"…Empty. Just like Tatooine." Arian said. Then she sat down on the sandy ground. She slowly laid herself on the ground and curled into a sleeping position. "This will have to do for now. I can keep looking in the morning." She closed her eyes as she tried to relax and fall asleep.

Maul watched her lay down. He decided it was time for him to rest, too. He laid back in his chair, but kept the monitor on. If something were to happen, he would awake from the sound. He closed his eyes.

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><p>Daylight broke. Arian had turned on her back in her sleep. The bright sunlight caused her eyes to open and squint. "Nmm…" She groaned as she sat up. She stretched her arms out and yawned.<p>

Maul observed her. He had woken up about thirty minutes before Arian had.

Arian looked around her surroundings. Of course, she was in the same exact area she had fallen asleep at. But as she looked at the ground, she noticed movement of a sort. She turned her head in the direction of the movement, and saw a small, palm-sized creature staring at her. It looked like some strange type of lizard, with blue and green colors and two tails.

Arian grinned. "Food!" She yelled. She slowly moved herself towards the lizard as she put her hands up. She was trying to catch it. Then, with swift movement, she brought her hands down and tried to cup the lizard within her hands. But she missed.

The lizard moved with incredible speed. Arian still tried to catch it. Each time she attempted, the lizard would only scurry away and stare at her, almost mockingly. It cocked it's head in a curious manner.

She scowled at the creature. It only stared at her for a few seconds more, then ran off in another direction. "Ugg?" Arian grunted in dumbfounded manner.

She stood up and watched as the lizard left. Then she thought to herself. 'Maybe I should follow it. It might be going somewhere that has food and water.' She ran after the lizard.

"You're not as dumb as you appear." Maul said to himself as he crossed his arms. He continued to sit and watch Arian through the monitor. "Let's see where the animal takes you."

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><p>An hour passed. The lizard continuously ran, and Arian kept after it. By the way the lizard ran, she could tell that it was heading to a specific area.<p>

She was so focused on the lizard that she didn't notice a tree that was up ahead. She ran hard into the tree and shouted from surprise as she fell backward. She grunted hard as her back hit the ground.

She propped herself up with her right hand and rubbed her head. A small cut appeared on her forehead from the impact. "Ow…" She said, annoyed. She looked forward and gasped.

A large, rainforest-type area stood before her. It's enormous trees were bright green in color, and rainbows of multi-hued flowers flourished in the canopies. Arian felt taken-back from the scenic sight. She decided to walk into the large forest.

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><p>Shade from the tree's large leaves covered the entire forest. Arian felt comfortable in cool shade instead of the searing desert. She walked deeper into the forest, hearing the chirping and singing of different species of birds.<p>

'If there's lots of animals here, then there must be something to eat or drink somewhere.' She thought. She looked around, and after a few more minutes of walking, heard what sounded like running water. She followed the sound, and eventually found a small stream of water cascading down some rocks.

Arian let out a sigh of relief. She walked over to the rocks and cupped her hands under the cool water.

Maul watched Arian as she gulped down the clear water. She would drink the water, then take more and drink again. He could tell she was incredibly thirsty.

Arian stopped drinking and took some additional water into her hands. She splashed the water on her face, and rubbed some on her neck. The cool water soothed her hot neck.

She noticed two different colored fruits near each other beside the rocks. She went over and looked at them. She recognized them from a description Maul had told her during one of her studies. She picked both fruits and stared at them as she remembered.

Maul had told her of the different fruits. He had said that both looked very similar, but were completely different. One was edible, and the other… not so much. If the other one was eaten, it would cause great stomach pains and nausea. It wasn't suitable for consumption.

Arian continued to stare at fruits, trying to decide which one to eat. Then she threw one of them to the ground. She threw the one that was edible, and ate the one that was harmful.

Arian chewed, then talked with her mouth full. "I don't need his stupid advice. I can eat whatever I want."

Maul sighed at her ignorance. "Idiot."

Arian ate the entire fruit and threw the core of it onto the leaf-covered floor. She began walking again, her destination unclear. "Such sweet silence. Maul's not here to bother me. He said this was a test, but it's not all that hard."

She leisurely strolled along and comfortably clasped her hands behind her head.

Maul watched her. 'Bother you? This isn't a vacation.' He thought. 'This is only the first day.'

Arian continued on her stroll. She suddenly stopped as she felt something crack underneath her feet. "Huh?" Then she began falling. She shrieked in surprise as her body flew down into a hole. Only moments later, she hit the ground. The air got knocked out of her and she groaned in pain. She forced herself to stand. Her vision blurred slightly then returned to normal.

She looked up and saw the sunlight through the canopy. Around her was a large, circular, mud cut out. A large, hallow pit. She wondered how or why it was there. But her thoughts quickly transferred from that, and she soon wondered how she would get out.

As she thought of a way to get out, she heard a deep growl behind her. She turned around slowly and her brown eyes met with red ones. She felt her heart almost stop as she saw the creature's large fangs and long, brown body. It growled at her, and looked extremely hungry and dangerous. It seemed to have been trapped in the hole for a few days.

Maul watched Arian back up against the muddy wall. She clung to it, unsure of what to do. Then she reacted on instinct and put her hands in front of her. She Force pushed the creature hard against the wall. Her Force still wasn't too strong, but strong enough to stun it.

Meanwhile, Arian tried to find a means of escape. She tried to climb the wall, but to no avail. The mud was too wet, and she kept sliding back down. The creature stood back up and shook itself. It stared at Arian with anger and hunger.

Arian heard a loud roar from behind her. She turned her head around, a look of fear on her face. Arian still tried to climb the wall, but faster. The creature clawed at her right leg, ripping her pale flesh. Large claw marks appeared on her leg, and blood ran down it. Arian screamed as loud as she could from the terrible pain, and fell to the ground.

The creature tried attacking her again, but Arian once again used her Force push. It was stronger this time due to her fear and pain. The creature hit the wall with a hard thud.

Arian didn't know what to do or how to escape. She searched her thoughts, then remembered the physical training Maul made her do a few days prior. Her eyes darted back and forth. If she didn't think fast, she knew the animal would get back up and try to kill her.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in her torn leg, Arian backed up. She ran as fast as she could towards the muddy wall, ran up it, catapulted herself from it, and back flipped. She landed on the leafy floor, atop and near the pit, on her back. She felt shocked and began hyperventilating.

Her whole body shook from the event that just occurred. She tried to stand, but fell to the side instead. She propped herself on her arms, and he head fell downward. She continuously breathed in and out. Her eyes were still wide in fear. She looked at her bloody leg. "If he hadn't have taught me that I would've…" She didn't continue her sentence.

Maul had kept calm the entire time he saw her getting attacked. He stared at her battered form and smiled. "You're finally beginning to understand." He sat comfortably in his chair, and started thinking. He wondered what she would think of him and how she would act by the time the month was over.

…That is, if she survived.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! As everyone can see, Arian seems to be slowly changing her mind about Maul and his teachings to her.<strong> **How will she develop during the month of her test? I hope I get lots of reviews! Continue reading, because I'm on a roll here! :D By the way, I'm actually working on a theme music piece for Arian using a music making program called Musescore. When I finish it, I'll upload it to youtube and put the link in one of my author's notes and on my profile page. I hope everyone will like it. **


	9. Chapter 9: One in the same

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 9: One in the same

Arian sat under a bent, hollow tree. The day had passed faster than she realized. Nighttime already came. She had found the tree about a mile off into the forest from where she had fallen in and escaped the pit. Her wounded leg burned in pain. She had no medicine to put on it. All she was able to do was tear off some cloth from her bell sleeve and wrap it around it.

She also began to feel very sick and nauseous. She closed her eyes and groaned from the nausea. "Maybe eating that wasn't so good…" She said out loud. She regretted eating the fruit Maul had told her not to eat. 'Why did I do that?' She thought. 'He wasn't here to see me go against him, anyway. All I did was make myself sick.'

A few more minutes passed. Arian began feeling sicker. She started gagging, and felt herself about to throw up. She stood up and ran to an area away from the tree. Her leg hurt with each movement.

"Stubborn. She can't blame anyone but herself." Maul said as he watched Arian puke through the monitor.

Arian finished vomiting and walked back to the tree. She felt even more hungry now than she did before eating the fruit. She sat back down under the tree and leaned herself against it. She felt very tired and stressed from the attack and from eating the poisonous fruit.

She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

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><p>Although Arian was asleep, Maul wasn't. He didn't feel in the least bit tired, and he felt it too early to rest. He stood up from his chair. He decided he would go see Arian personally, instead of only through the monitor. He had nothing else to do, anyway.<p>

Maul walked out of Scimitar and unloaded Bloodfin. He boarded Bloodfin and set the controls on it to silent. He didn't want Arian to wake up from the Sith speeder's sound and her see him. He turned it on and positioned himself to sit comfortably atop the speeder. The engine started, and he pressed down on the acceleration.

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><p>Sandy wind hit Maul's face as he traveled the barren terrain. After about thirty minutes of traveling, he saw the forest Arian was in up ahead. He stopped a few yards from the forest and dismounted Bloodfin.<p>

He walked into the dark forest. The entire place was dimly lit by the planet's two moons. The moonlight gave everything a blue tint. Maul could hear insects chirping around the forest, giving it a very serene atmosphere.

Maul remembered the path Arian had taken. He followed that path, as it would lead him to her. He made sure to be as quiet as possible so he wouldn't wake her up.

Within only a few minutes, Maul found Arian beneath the tree. Thankfully, she was still asleep. He slowly walked towards her. Once near her, he kneeled down so his level would be on par with hers.

Arian breathed slowly. Her lips were slightly parted, showing some of her top teeth. Her hair was messy, and she had mud stains on her clothes and hands. Maul looked her up and down. She was a complete mess. He stared at her wounded leg. The ripped cloth was messily tied around it, and the blood from the claw scratches had seeped through and left dark stains.

Maul then turned his head up to look at Arian's face. He heard her small, slow breathes escape her parted lips. He slowly and gently brought his hand to her forehead. With a small graze of his gloved hand, he moved her bangs from her forehead. He saw the tiny cut she had gotten from running into the tree.

Arian whimpered a sudden, slight groan. Maul's eyes turned to her closed ones. He could see her eyes darting back and forth beneath her closed lids. He lips moved ever so slightly, as if she was trying to talk.

'She's dreaming.' Maul thought. He continued to stare at her face. He felt curious as to what she might say in her sleep.

"…I… promised you…" Arian muttered the almost inaudible broken sentence. But Maul's fine hearing allowed him to make out the words. 'What promise?' He thought. 'And to whom?'

Arian sighed through her nose in her sleep. Maul watched her a few minutes longer. She said nothing else the rest of the time. Maul decided he saw enough, and stood up. He looked over her a few seconds longer as he stood. He continued to wonder to himself what she was talking about, but realized it was of no importance and brushed it from his thoughts. He turned from Arian and left, heading back to Scimitar.

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><p>One week passed. Arian had left the forest. She wasn't able to stay in it too long due to the large amount of different carnivorous animals that resided there. Every time she had tried to look for food or wander the forest, the animals would see her and try to attack her so they could eat her. She had soon realized that staying in the forest was too dangerous.<p>

When Arian left the forest, she took ten edible fruits with her. That's all she had been able to carry with her. She walked across the desert and finally found another cave. The cave was much smaller than the one she had previously found. She could see the end of the cave even as she stood from the outside and looked in. It was about the size of one dining room. And thankfully for her, there wasn't even one animal in it.

Arian plopped down on the cave's cold floor, dropping all the fruit to the ground. The fruit all rolled to the side and spread out in different directions. Arian panted heavily in and out from the heat and from pain. Her wounded leg still hurt horribly, and it didn't seem to be getting any better. She closed her eyes and rested herself.

After a few minutes she opened her eyes and sat up. She looked at one of the fruits and gently took it in her hand. She examined it carefully, taking it it's blood-red hue. The fruit was ovular in shape, and had a few pointy pines on it's top end. It's distinct appearance reminded her of Maul.

"I hate him for putting me through this…" She told herself. She squeezed the fruit from frustration. As she did, she remembered that if Maul hadn't have taught her how to evade that monster, she wouldn't have survived. She also remembered Maul telling her of the fruit. If she had not known of the differences of the fruits, she could've accidentally eaten the poisonous ones over and over, and eventually poisoned herself to death.

As she remembered the things he taught her, her tight grip on the fruit loosened. She sighed and her angry expression changed to one that looked almost sad. She brought the fruit to her lips. She paused for a seconds, then bit down into it. The fruit was soft and juicy, and made squishing sounds and she chewed it. It's sweet, reddish-purplish colored nectar dripped down her pale lips and chin. She soon finished the entire fruit and wiped her mouth clean.

Arian looked at the other fruits. There were now only nine left. "I have to savor these." She said as she took the fruits and piled them all in one corner of the cave. "This is all the food I have for now. I can only eat one a day. Let's see… If I stay here and eat one each day, then I can safely reside here for nine more days. After I run out, I'll have to go search for more food."

"Maybe you're smarter than I thought." Maul quietly said. Once again, he watched her through the monitor. "You wouldn't be if I had not taught you."

Trying to ignore the pain in her leg, Arian stood up. She walked out of the cave and stood near it's entrance. She looked around her and saw various sized boulders. Some were small, and others were even bigger than the cylinders Maul had made her use her Force on. She remembered her Force training with Maul. She put her hand out towards one of the smaller boulders.

She lifted the boulder into the air using the Force. "This is all I really have to do right now. Besides, if I get stronger with my Force, maybe I can use it against one of the animals here and eat them instead of only fruit everyday." She told herself. The boulder hung in the air for a while, afterwards she dropped it.

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><p>The nine days slowly passed. Arian savored each fruit she had, eating only one a day. Everyday for a few hours, she would train her Force power. Each day she got stronger. She would lift a heavier boulder every day, and for a longer amount of time. Soon, she found herself able to lift all the boulders at once.<p>

After practicing with her Force, she would meditate. She found it easier to meditate the more she did it. And she felt it good since it would get her mind off the heat and her hunger.

Maul noticed her getting stronger. He would constantly keep an eye on her through the monitor. But something bothered him… Arian seemed to be getting more calm. And her hate for him was slightly less. It was definitely something he didn't expect. In a way, it worried him. He wanted her to hate him so he could have that stranglehold on her, the same way Sidious had on him. But he would have to wait until the month was over. When it would be over, he would just train her as hard as he could so she would continue to hate him. If he did that, surely his hold on her would tighten, and she would eventually succumb to him and the dark side completely.

That was his plan, at least.

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><p>When the nine days were over, Arian ran completely out of food. She walked out of the cave and into the bright sunlight. Her leg had healed slightly, but it still hurt a little. She looked far into the desert. She could see nothing around her but sand and rocks.<p>

"In order to find something, I have to look for it." She told herself. She turned and headed in a random direction. 'Maybe I'm strong enough now to take on any animals that might attack me.' She thought.

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><p>Searching for another location for food and water took her longer than she thought it would. Every time before it only took hours. But this time, it took more than two days. Arian continuously walked in the hot desert. She was dehydrated, starving, tired, and weak. She limped forward from weakness, her eyes half closed.<p>

She found a large, strangely shaped rock ahead of her. The rock was angled in a way that allowed it to cast a shadow. Arian dragged herself to the rock so she could rest in it's shade. She sat beneath it and leaned her back on it. Her head leaned back and she closed her eyes.

Maul's droid continued to keep it's distance from her. But it was close enough to still spy on her. Maul continued to watch her. He sat in his chair with his arms crossed.

Arian began thinking to herself about Sidious taking her in, and Maul's training. She opened her eyes and kept her head leaned back. "Maul…" She said aloud.

Maul's eye ridges twitched curiously as Arian said his name. he leaned closer to the monitor to hear what she might say.

"… Why do I keep thinking of him?" She asked herself. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged herself. Her head rested on her knees. "I hated him so much. I still do… I think…" Arian felt more confused than anything. "If I hate him, then why don't I feel that hatred as strong now?"

Maul watched intently. 'That's what I want to know.' He thought.

Arian looked to the desert. She could see heat waves in the distance. The waves seemed to ripple like water. "I'd rather be under his training right now…" She hugged her knees closer and buried her face in them. "…Instead of out here alone…"

Maul blinked and his tattooed lips parted, causing his mouth to fall slightly agape. 'Alone…' He thought. He remembered he spent his entire life alone, except when he was with his Master and when he had trained at Orsis Academy. He had no friends or family. All he had was his Master. 'But my Master is all I need.' He thought. He forced any sad feelings he might have about his past to stay deep inside him. He forced his heart to turn to stone. He forced the feelings to stay locked inside his heart and never escape. He didn't want to feel weak.

Arian lifted her head. A tear fell down her cheek. She growled and wiped the tear away. "I have to be strong. I have to prove I'm not weak!" She told herself. She stood up and got out from under the rock. She began walking once again in search for food.

'Strong…' Maul thought of what Arian just said.

Her words reminded him of himself.

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><p>Only hours later, Arian noticed an enormous structure ahead of her. She continued towards it, and the structure became more clear to her. It wasn't too long until she could tell it was a mountain.<p>

'There must be some food there, or animal I could kill and eat.' Arian thought. She quickened her pace to the mountain.

Arian climbed the mountain, which took a few hours. The sun had started to set. She began to hear what sounded like a small stream of running water. Like in the forest, she headed towards the sound.

She found that the stream was running down some rocks and into a small, bowl-shaped crevice below the rocks. She walked to the water and drink as much as she could from the crevice until it was entirely empty.

'Much better.' She thought. She heard her stomach growl. 'But I'm still hungry. I need food.' She looked to the top of the mountain. 'But it's getting dark. I'll get food in the morning.'

Maul decided once again to watch Arian in person. Except this time, he would stay there for the remaining thirteen days. He stood and walked from his seat and came out of Scimitar. He pressed the buttons on his comlink, which ordered the droid that sent to spy on Arian to come back to Scimitar. It would take the droid a few hours to come back since it was so far off.

Maul took out and boarded Bloodfin. He quickly left and headed to the mountain Arian resided on.

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><p>In a matter of hours, night came and Maul found himself standing and looking up towards the mountain. He climbed the mountain with ease, and found Arian sleeping near the running water.<p>

Maul looked at her sleeping form. She laid on the hard, rocky ground in a curled position. She slept soundly. Maul remembered that the last time he saw her sleep in person, she talked in her sleep. But this time, she didn't.

He turned from her, and headed to a different area of the mountain. He wanted to keep his distance so she wouldn't spot him when she woke up. He sat down behind a large boulder and got into a meditative position. 'I will see what comes in the last few days.' He thought.

He fell asleep.

Even though Maul and Arian were on different parts of the mountain, the planet's two moons shard their moonlight with them both. The moonlight seemed to travel over both of them, connecting them to each other like a chain. Perhaps Maul and Arian had more in common than they both realized.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I'd like more reviews this time, please. I've noticed some people are reading all the chapters I wrote and only leaving one review for all of it. If you review, I'd like a separate review on each chapter, please. Anyway, I'll update as soon as I can. I already have exactly what I want to happen in the next chapter in mind, so I'll start on it soon and of course, update. :D<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: My Master

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 10: My Master

Daylight began breaking. Maul opened his eyes. He looked into the sky and saw that it was a dark blue color. Morning had just started, so the sky was still dark. He got up from his meditative position and began walking back to the area tat Arian had fallen asleep at.

Maul quietly entered the part of the mountain Arian currently resided on. He looked ahead of him and saw her still soundly asleep. He decided he would wait until she woke up. He went over behind a large wall of rocks so she wouldn't see him when she woke up. He sat there and waited patiently.

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><p>Four more hours passed. The sun was now out in the sky. Maul continued to sit and patiently wait. He heard some movement from behind the wall of rocks. He turned to face the rocks and peaked out from the side of them.<p>

He saw Arian stretch and yawn.

Arian stood up and walked over to the running water. She bent over and cupped her hands underneath it. The water filled her hands and she drink it. Afterwards, she looked up the mountain.

"If there's water running down here, then maybe there's more up there." Arian said aloud. She decided to start climbing the mountain. "Maybe there's also some animals there that I can kill and eat, too."

Maul followed after her. He stayed behind far enough and on different parts of the mountain so he'd stay unnoticed.

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><p>Hours passed. Arian climbed the best she could and never stopped. But she began feeling weaker from hunger. She still hadn't found any food.<p>

She grabbed at one of the small rocks as she tried to pull herself higher. But she didn't know that it was loose. The rock slipped, and Arian screamed as she felt herself begin to fall.

Maul watched as Arian began plummeting down the rocks.

Arian flailed in the air as she fell backward. Using the Force, she tried to twist her body around so she could catch herself on the side of the mountain. But she twisted wrong and ended up hitting her head on the ledge instead. It knocked her out immedietly.

Maul noticed Arian's body go limp. He saw that she stopped struggling and was still. But knowing her well enough, he knew that she hadn't just given up on saving herself. No… She was too stubborn to just allow herself to die by falling. He knew that something happened that caused her to go limp. She was now unable to save herself because she was unconscious, not because she gave up.

Without thinking, Maul leaped up from the rocks. He pushed himself slightly higher by using the Force. He drew closer to Arian's falling body, and caught her in mid air, bridal style.

Maul landed on a ledge under him. He used the Force to cushion his descent. Arian's unconscious body rested safely in his arms. He kneeled down on one knee and slowly set Arian's lower half of her body down on the ledge. He then rest her head on his kneeled knee and kept his hand under her neck.

He looked at her face. Her eyes were closed from her unconscious state. He also saw a small bit of blood on the side of her head. The wound didn't look too bad. The impact from Arian's head hitting the rock was less than he thought. He expected her to awake in only a few minutes.

Maul stood up and brought Arian up with him. He bent over and placed her on his back. Arian's arms dangled over Maul's neck. With one hand, Maul clasped Arian's hands together in front of his chest so she wouldn't slide off his back. He stood back up straight once he felt she was secure.

He turned his head and looked at Arian. Her head rested atop his shoulder. 'You're not going to die so easily…' Maul thought. He remembered his desire for domination over Arian. 'I'm not going to allow you to simply leave my grasp.'

Maul looked up at the mountain. He could see a flat edge higher up, near where Arian had fallen. He began climbing the rocks with Arian secured on his back.

It took Maul only a few minutes to climb to the ledge he saw. Of course, throughout his life he had trained in harsh environments. So he found scaling the mountain to be effortless. He stood atop the ledge, and took Arian from his back. He laid her down on the flat surface.

Maul went to a different area of the mountain again. He went far enough to stay out of Arian's sight, but close enough for him to still keep an eye on her.

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><p>In a matter of minutes, like Maul thought, Arian woke up. She sat up slowly and rubbed her head in pain. "Ow…" She groaned aloud. "What happened?"<p>

Arian remembered climbing the mountain and a rock slipping. "I fell and then everything went black…" She looked around her. "How did I not die?"

She stood up and walked near the ledge. She looked below her. She couldn't quite recognize where she slipped and fell. Looking for only a few minutes more, she walked away from the ledge. "Oh, well. I'm fine, I guess." She shrugged off what happened.

Maul watched her walk to the upper rocks. He saw her beginning to climb them. "No where to go but up." He heard her say. He smiled deviously. He felt slightly proud of her for not whining about what had happened.

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><p>Arian climbed the mountain for a few hours. Every once in a while she would stop and rest, but she would continue to climb afterwards. She was determined not to give up.<p>

Maul followed her the whole time and stayed out of sight. Arian had no idea that Maul was there with her.

As Arian climbed, she began hearing rustling movements. It sounded like crunching, like an animal eating. 'An animal?' She thought. She climbed higher towards the sound.

She reached a flat edge. She climbed atop and stood, looking around her. She saw a few grass patches and old leave, and remembered back to her teachings. 'If there's vegetation here, then the higher I go the more there will be.' She also heard running water. She noticed it's sound get louder and louder the higher she climbed.

She walked around the area, continuing to follow the crunching sound. She peaked around a corner of the mountain.

Arian felt surprised at what she saw. There was a large animal that looked like the one that attacked her in the pit. The animal was eating another large creature. The one it was eating looked deer-like, and was slightly smaller than the one eating it. It had multiple horns sticking out from the top of it's head, and down it's neck. And it had a long, white tail that looked like a horse's mane. Arian assumed it to be a herbivore.

The carnivorous animal tore at the deer-like animal. The dead one's body laid on the rocky surface as the other one ate at it's flesh. Arian noticed large, bloody fang marks in the dead one's neck. It was a fresh kill for the one that was eating it.

Arian suddenly had an idea. She felt her heart race, but she calmed herself and took deep breathes. She quietly walked from the corner and into the area where the fanged creature ate it's prey.

She tip-toed towards the animal. It's back side faced her as it continued to feast on the dead creature. Arian lifter her arms up in front of her. The palms of her hands faced in front of the animal.

Arian let out a loud yell as she Force pushed the animal. The creature roared as it was pushed away from it's meal. It's head turned back and it looked at Arian. It's sharp teeth displayed to her in anger.

Arian could fell that her connection with the Force was much stronger than it had been. She smirked and walked closer to the animal. She grunted and lifted her arms up. Her Force lifted the creature into the air.

The animal hung in the air. It struggled and flailed it's large claws. Arian walked to the edge of the mountain. The creature moved forward with each step she took.

Arian held the animal over the ledge. She looked into it's face. She could see anger and fear in it's face. With a forceful push from her, the creature flew over the edge. Arian ran towards where she pushed it. She looked down and saw the animal plummet down the rocks. It's body hit the side of the mountain and it fell so far that Arian couldn't even see it anymore. 'It's definitely dead.' She thought.

Maul wasn't surprised that Arian had easily defeated the creature. He had already known she was stronger when he watched her train her Force using the boulders. He continued to watch her.

Arian turned away from the ledge and looked at the dead animal. She walked towards it and began to carefully examine it's body.

The creature's body looked clean, except for the parts of it that the other animal had already ate into. "Easy food." Arian said as she smiled. She stood up and walked away from the animal.

Arian gathered some old leaves and grass she found around the mountain. She piled them together, and then found some sticks and a few rocks. She put the sticks under the leaves, except for one large, long one that she kept near her for another use.

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><p>A few more hours passed. In the meantime, Arian had carved one of the stones into a sharp, dagger shape. She used the sharp rock to cut flesh out of the dead animal. She had also built a fire by striking two rocks together over the dry leaves and sticks. She put the raw meat over the larger stick and roasted it over the fire.<p>

Arian sat a few feet away from the fire. It was already too hot outside. She didn't want to get any hotter. Even though the sun was beginning to set, the heat was still bothersome.

Maul watched her wait for the meat to finish cooking. He saw Arian sitting with her head atop her knees. Her eyes were half-lidded.

"Maul…" She quietly said as she stared at the fire.

Maul's eye ridge twitched at the sound of his name being said. As he watched Arian, he sensed almost no hatred in her anymore. He was confused. 'Why?' He thought. 'She should hate me more since I put her on this planet.'

Arian stood up and walked over to the now fully cooked meat. She took the stick that the meat was on and held it near her face. She blew on it, trying to cool it off. After a few minutes, she bit into it.

It was delicious. She had only been eating fruit the whole time she had been on the planet, so the meat was like a delicacy to her. She devoured it quick enough, not leaving a scrap of it behind.

Once she finished the food, she let the fire burn out on it's own. She felt full, which made her happy. She hadn't felt full in so long, ever since she arrived on the planet.

It was no night time. Arian felt tired. But instead of going to sleep, she looked up the mountain. "If I climb a little higher now instead of sleeping, I might be able to reach the top by tomorrow."

Maul watched her grab onto the side of the mountain and begin climbing. He had gotten used to her going to sleep at this hour. 'Maybe eating the meat gave her energy.' He thought.

After watching her for a few moments longer, he began climbing as well. He would not let her out of his sights.

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><p>An hour passed. Arian felt she had climbed enough, so she finally stopped and rested. Maul did the same. Arian laid on her back and faced the stars. Her eyes closed, and she drifted into sleep. Maul, hiding behind another part of the mountain like always, sat up in a meditative position and slept.<p>

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><p>'What is this place?' Arian thought. She found herself in a dark, empty void. There was almost no light to see with. She looked around the area.<p>

"Hello?" She loudly said. Her voice echoed in the empty space. She could hear nothing but the echoes of her own voice, which soon went silent as well.

"I'm alone…" She quietly said to herself as she looked down puzzlingly. She lifted her head up and started to walk forward.

Her footsteps made no sounds as she stepped. It was as if she was as light as air. She felt compelled to continue walking. She felt like she was being drawn to a strange force.

She walked for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, in front of her, she could see a figure standing far off into the darkness.

"Maybe I'm not alone." She said as she smiled. She began running towards the figure.

As she got closer, she was soon able to tell that the figure was cloaked. She couldn't see it's face from it's dark hood covering it. But she continued to run closer to it's enigmatic form.

The figure stood still. It's back was turned to Arian. Once Arian got close enough, she stood in front of it and looked up at it.

The figure turned and faced Arian as she stared up at it. Even though it turned to her, she still couldn't see who it was because of the dark hood.

Arian and the figure stared at each other for a few minutes. Then the silence broke as Arian spoke. "Who are you?"

The figure lifted it's hood with it's gloved hands. Arian gasped as she stared at his face.

Maul stood before her. His expression was emotionless. Arian backed up slightly and she looked at him in anger. She got in a defensive position. "Dammit, why do I have to be around you?" She asked, annoyed.

"Why are you complaining? You don't like to be alone. I keep you company." Maul said in a calm, mysterious voice.

Arian stiffened. "I hate your presence! I'd rather be alone!"

Maul turned. "Fine. Then I'll leave." He started to walk away.

Arian gasped and put her hand out. She stepped forward and yelled out. "Wait!"

Maul stopped and turned to face her again. "What is it? I thought you hated my presence."

Arian paused and looked down, as if searching for answers. "I-I just…"

Maul interrupted her. "Stop lying to yourself. You want me around. You know that I'm all you really have."

Arian looked at him. Her expression turned to a mix of anger and sadness. "That's not true! I have…" She looked at her hands. "…I have…"

"Absolutely nothing." Maul finished her sentence for her. Arian looked up at him and tears began to sell up in her eyes. "Without me, you are nothing. Without my teachings, you wouldn't have survived this far. Without being with mer, you would have rotted away on Tatooine. Without me, you would have ended up as a normal person with no purpose in life."

Arian looked down. She didn't want Maul to see her crying eyes.

Maul walked closer to her and set his hands on her shoulders. Arian kept her head down. He took his right hand from her shoulder and cupped it under her small chin. With a slow and gentle movement, he lifted her head up so she would look at him.

Tears ran down Arian's pale cheeks. Her eyebrows scrunched together in sadness.

Maul looked into her eyes. "Without me, you would be completely alone." He told her in a deep whisper.

Arian choked on her tears. She tried to force herself not to cry, but it was to no avail. She made a small whimper deep in her throat as more tears came.

Suddenly, Arian could feel her face being drawn closer to Maul's. 'What?' She wondered.

Maul placed his other hand behind her shoulder blade. He drew Arian closer to him. He moved the hand that was under Arian's chin to rest on the back of her head.

Arian felt frozen. Maul's face continued to draw closer to hers. Soon she could fell the breath from his mouth hit her lips. She felt her heart pound faster, and a fluttering feeling in her stomach.

Her eyes widened. 'Why am I feeling this way right now?' She thought. 'This one who has been my teacher… Why am I getting this feeling in my chest? I hated him so much, yet now I feel this painful yet comforting emotion inside me.'

Maul's lips were nearly touching Arian's. Arian's eyelids began to close from the deep emotional feeling she was experiencing. 'I feel this craving for him… Why? I don't understand why I want him to-'

Right before Maul's lips came into contact with Arian's, she woke up. She gasped loudly and sat up.

Sweat poured down her face. She stared downward with her eyes wide. She put her hand over her chest and panted heavily.

Maul was already awake. It was morning, and he had woken up before she did. He stared at her from behind a rock. He was curious what she dreamed about.

Arian tenderly brought her hand to her lips as she thought about her dream. Maul watched her. His curiosity faded as he thought to himself, 'No matter. It was only a dream. Nothing more than that, whatever it was about.'

Arian gulped and set her hand down. 'A dream.' She thought. 'It was only a dream.' She calmed herself from waking up so suddenly and stood up.

She stretched her arms up as she groaned from awakening. Afterwards she turned and faced the mountaintop. Without hesitation, she began climbing it once again.

'That was fast.' Maul thought. He followed after her like always.

Arian climbed for three hours. She acted very calm and silent as she went higher. Maul noticed her change in attitude. 'She seems more focused.' He thought.

The sound of the running water became louder and much clearer. "I'm almost to the top." Arian said to herself as she looked to the peak of the mountain. She felt a little excited to hear the running water. She was very thirsty.

After climbing for a few minutes more, she grabbed at the last ledge and pulled herself up. She fell to the floor at the mountain top and panted heavily from the stressful climbing.

After catching her breath, she looked forward. What she saw caused a delightful smile to play across her face.

A beautiful oasis sat atop the mountain. It's clear water sparkled in the sunlight. A few different trees surrounded it and some fruit hung from them. There was also another deer-like animal, one that looked like the same dead one that the carnivorous creature had killed. It stood at the opposite end of the oasis and drink from the water.

Arian ran towards the water. The sudden movement and noises caused the animal to run down the mountain and away from the oasis.

Maul hid behind one of the larder, taller trees and watched Arian.

Arian dunked her head into the water and gulped down as much as she could. Maul was a little surprised at how long she drink. For such a small girl, she could intake a lot of liquid. Arian pulled her head from the water and breathed in a deep breath. Her hair was drenched and it slung back and whipped her neck.

"That felt so good!" She yelled and smiled. She pushed her wet bangs back from her face and looked into the water.

She observed the rippling water for a few seconds. As she heard it running, she noticed that it somehow didn't deplete even though it ran down the mountain slowly.

'It recycles itself.' She thought. 'If it does that then that means I could…'

Maul watched Arian stand up and look around.

"What am I looking around for? No one's here." Arian told herself. She placed her hand on her shoulder and removed her bell sleeve.

Maul watched Arain removed the bell sleeve. She was about to take off her dress, but Maul turned his sight from so he wouldn't see her bare form. He grunted slightly from awkwardness.

He stared at the ground. A fond memory that only he knew came back to him. He remembered back when he was younger and at Orsis Academy, there was a Nautolan girl there that he had befriended. The first time the girl had spoken to him, she had asked him to swim with her. He had marveled at the way she swam, and how her long head tresses flowed behind her. He had never told her, not exactly expressed it, but she was the first and only girl he had known in his life that he had any sort of attraction or love towards.

'Kilindi.' He remembered her name. Of course he would never forget it. He himself had killed her when his Master ordered him to execute everyone at the academy. He had made him do so or else everyone there would have found out that he was training under a Sith Lord. He really didn't want to, but his loyalty to Sidious was stronger than any other emotion.

Maul's thoughts were suddenly stopped when he heard Arian enter the water. He lifted his head up and turned his gaze to her.

Arian was turned from Maul's direction. He saw her relax in the water, and only her head and the tops of her shoulders were visible. He heard her moan in comfort as the clean water cooled her skin, and washed off the blood and dirt. Her long, wet hair stuck to her neck.

Maul continued to stare at her as she bathed. After a few minutes, Arian turned to the side and stared at the water as she held her shoulders with her arms.

"Maul…" She said. She looked into the water in what seemed like sadness. "I don't feel any hate for him anymore… I feel something else… And that dream I had… Was right. I've been lying to myself."

Arian stared at her reflection in the water. "I wouldn't have survived without his teachings. And before I came to this planet, I wanted nothing more then to be away from him. But that dream showed me my inner feelings…"

Maul Arian and listened to her words. It was the most curious thing he ever heard. He was Sith. And so was his Master. The Sith would teach with hate, and the apprentice would be loyal through hate. But Arian was different. She wasn't like a normal Sith apprentice. 'I must tell Master Sidious of this when the last days are over.' He thought.

Arian closed her eyes and leaned her head forward in relaxation. "He kept me company, even though I hated his presence. I wasn't alone. He and Sidious rescued me from Tatooine. Maul trained me and taught me how to keep myself alive. I had no purpose when on Tatooine." She said, then remembered back to the reason why she decided to be apprentice to Sidious in the first place. "I originally went with Sidious because I felt like my life was meaningless… Since I am under Maul now, maybe I can have some sort of meaning and serve him somehow. I had no loyalty before, and I was disrespectful and I was weak… and I didn't know that because I was blinded by my stubbornness." Arian sighed. "I never thought I would hear myself sat these types of things."

Maul stared at her face. The water on her pale skin glistened in the sunlight. He could sense the great change in her that she had just admitted out loud.

As he stared at her he thought something else, too. He thought, for a moment, that she looked beautiful.

Then he mentally slapped himself. He felt those types of emotions to be weak. But that didn't mean he could exactly keep himself from feeling attraction.

Arian opened her eyes and kept her head leaning forward. "I want to serve him now. I feel this strange loyalty. He's the only one who's ever made feel this way. He is my teacher, my mentor…"

Arian stood up. Her bare back came into Maul's full view. He long black hair cascaded down her back. She lifted her arms to the back of her neck and pulled her hair over her shoulder. The water she stood in covered her waist and everything below it. She looked forward and her expression changed to look like she had a revelation.

"…He is my Master."

'Master…' Maul thought. He looked down and his mouth fell agape in confusion. He finally got what he wanted. Arian saw him as her Master. But it didn't happen the way he expected. He had fully believed that she would see him as her Master through force and hate. But she willingly, and without hate claimed him Master instead. 'I don't understand.' He continued to search for an explanation, but none came to him. None of it made sense.

He looked back up at Arian. His attention became focused on her back as he saw something he hadn't ever noticed before. A black marking was displayed in the middle of her back. It looked like a tattoo that the Dathomirian Zabraks and females adorned. He had thought that she didn't have any before, because there were none on her face or limbs. 'But why would she have only one tattoo? And why only in the middle of her back? It's like it was purposely put there to be hidden.' He wondered.

He saw that Arian was about to get out of the water. He turned around so he wouldn't see her naked.

'This girl is stranger that I realized.' He crossed his arms and leaned against the tree. He could hear Arian getting dressed from behind him.

"Only twelve days left." Arian said as she finished put her clothes on. After finishing, she looked at the tres around her. "There's plenty of food here. I'll just stay here for the remaining days."

She looked into the sky. She remembered Maul leaving the planet with the Scimitar. "I didn't ever think I'd say this, but I…" She softly smirked and tilted her head down. "I actually look forward to seeing Maul- I mean Master Maul, again.

Maul looked from the side of the tree at her. 'I never thought you would, either.' He thought. 'Master Maul… That's not something I'm used to.' He grinned. 'But it does sound pleasant.'

Arian walked over to a tree and relaxed against it. "I wonder how Master Maul will react once he see me again."

But Maul already knew. He knew of her change. But that didn't mean he would treat her any differently. He wanted to know for himself… Was her newfound loyalty true, or was it just because of her loneliness on the planet?

Of course, he would continue to test her once back on Coruscant.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I apologize for not updating for so long. I've been way too busy with work, and I've been very tired. I'm still writing this fanfic. If I ever do stop writing it, then I would say so in a chapter update. I've also been working on some drawings when I've had free time, instead of just writing. So yeah… The days just don't have enough hours for me to do everything at once. Lol XD. But I do appreciate the reviews, and I'm happy to hear that everyone seems to be like this fanfic so far. So leave more reviews and critiques so I can continue writing, and you reviewers may help me improve my writing. ^_^ Tell me what you thought of this chapter, and what you think of their "love" development so far...<strong>

**.P.S Kilindi (the Nautolan girl) is canon to the book, "The Wrath of Darth Maul". And what I wrote about Maul watching her swim is also canon. It's in the same book.  
><strong>


	11. Chapter 11: Darkness inside

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 11: Darkness inside

The remaining twelve days quickly passed by. Arian had meditated for the last days and relaxed. She had enough food and water around her to stay on the mountain.

'This is the last day.' She thought as she leaned against a tree and looked at the two moons. It was the night of the final day.

Maul looked at her from the side of another tree. 'She's right. Today is the last day of her survival test.' He thought. 'Time to head back.' He turned and began scaling down the mountain. It would take him no time at all to travel down and back. He was a skilled Sith Lord, after all.

Arian closed her eyes. "Maybe Master Maul will be here in the morning." She said before falling asleep.

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><p>Within only hours, Maul reached the bottom of the mountain. He walked over to where he had left Bloodfin. The Sith Speeder was still there. He boarded it, and headed to Scimitar once again.<p>

Quickly enough, he reached Scimitar. He drove Bloodfin back into its holding station, afterwards he entered Scimitar's cockpit. He turned on the large Starship and set it to ascend into the sky.

'I have to make it seem to her that I'm arriving on the planet. If I just drive straight to her, she might suspect something.' He thought as he tilted the steering bars downward, which made Scimitar rise high into the atmosphere.

Scimitar continued to ascend high past the planet's atmosphere. Maul then drove it a good distance from the planet, and made a u-turn. He drove back to the planet where Arian was.

It only took him a few minutes to reach Arian while using Scimitar. It was still night on the part of the planet she was on.

Arian opened her eyes at the sound of a Starship. She looked up and saw Scimitar descending on the mountain. 'I wonder how he found me so quickly.' She thought.

Maul finished landing Scimitar and turned off its loud engine. He pressed a button which opened the entrance hatch. He felt curious how Arian would react to her seeing him since she now felt some sort of loyalty to him. 'I must not let her know that I know that.' He thought. He stood from his seat and walked to the end of Scimitar, where he would step out and speak to Arian.

Arian stared at the open hatch. She ran over to it before she saw anyone step out. She could see feet come into view as she reached the entrance, so she immedietly bowed on the ground.

Maul walked down the ramp. He stopped at the end of the ramp as he could see Arian in full view, bowing before him. He felt an unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling as he saw her kneeling on the ground, willingly submitting herself to him. He still wondered how and why she would so gladly succumb to him, but at the moment he allowed himself to feel the goodness of being the one in control. But he wouldn't express his likeness for it towards her.

Arian kept her head down. Moving only her eyes, she could see Maul's black sneaker-boots in front of her. She awaited for him to speak to her first.

Maul stood for a few seconds, silently. Then he spoke to her. "I see you survived well. And I sense you are stronger."

Arian's eyes darted back and forth. She was unsure how to respond to him. "…Yes, my Lord." Was all she could muster to say. She had gotten a little unused to speaking to him since she had been alone with no one to talk to for a month on the desolate planet.

" "Yes" about what?" He asked her. He kept his eyes on her.

Arian could feel Maul's intimidating gaze on her. "I trained my Force and learned survival tactics. I became stronger…" She paused as she felt strange for what she was about to say. "…Master."

Maul smirked. "You're changed more than I realized." He pretended he didn't know about Arian calling him her Master.

Arian gulped and nodded timidly. She still didn't pick her head up to look at him. She felt confused with herself as she didn't know how to act or what to say.

Maul sensed the confusion within her. 'She seems conflicted.' He thought. He stood and stared at her for a few seconds until he felt it appropriate to leave. "Arian, stand up."

Arian nodded and stood up. She kept her eyes on the floor, trying to not look into Maul's face.

Maul immedietly noticed her trying to avoid eye contact. "Turn your eyes to me." He commanded her.

Arian did as he said. She tilted her eyes to him. As she stared at his face, she felt slightly shy and fearful. But she couldn't understand why. Her lips parted slightly from the mix of emotions.

As Maul stared at her, he was easily able to read her emotions. He never gave any thought to it, though. He turned away from her and faced the entrance to Scimitar. "Come." He began walking up the ramp.

Arian breathed out calmly and followed him up the ramp. As she entered Scimitar, she could feel cool air from the inside hit her skin. She was glad that she could finally leave the hot planet. But before she fully entered, she looked at the planet one last time.

Maul stopped and gazed over his shoulder at her.

Arian looked out over the mountain. She could see into the vast desert. From the top of the mountain she could even spot the forest she had first found. 'I was here for a month. I was completely alone, but I survived.' She thought. She smiled slightly. 'It's going to feel a little strange leaving this place.'

Maul sensed her emotions. He thought that she did seem different compared to how she was when she was first brought to Coruscant. He turned his head back to Scimitar's entrance. He pushed the thoughts aside as he knew something else, too. 'She still has much to learn.' He began walking again. "Let's go." He told her.

Arian turned to look at him. Once she noticed that he continued to walk, she followed him.

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><p>It didn't take long for Maul and Arian to reach Coruscant. They both stayed silent the entire way back.<p>

Sidious waited for them to both return. He stood near Scimitar's landing pad, wondering how Arian would look after being left on the planet. 'Maybe she fared better than young Maul had those few years ago.' He held his hands behind his back and smiled a small smirk. 'She must have. There were no droids on the planet she was on.'

He could hear Scimitar's engine near. But he couldn't see it. 'The cloaking is on.' He thought.

Maul landed Scimitar on the landing dock. After fully stopping he turned off the cloaking. He got up from his seat and motioned for Arian to follow him.

Sidious watched Scimitar's entrance open. Maul stepped out first, Arian closely following behind him. Sidious put on a smile when he saw Arian.

Once Maul stepped off the ramp, he kneeled before his Master. Sidious looked at him and began to speak. "I see young Arian survived her test."

Maul stood up and looked at his Master. "Yes, Master." He turned and looked at Arian. She was still standing behind him. He tilted his head to the side, gesturing for her to come from behind him and stand next to him instead.

Arian, without back-talking or complaining, walked next to Maul. She stood still and calm as she looked at Master Sidious and smiled.

Sidious was immedietly able to tell she had changed a lot in the month. He sensed her calmer demeanor, she was quieter, and she made no complaints when maul ordered her around.

"Splendid! My dear, you were able to pass your survival test." He smiled at her and noticed the large gash on her leg that had not completely healed.

Arian nodded. "I'm glad to see you again, Master."

Sidious kept his smile on. "As am I. But I see you sustained a pretty bad wound." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "And you need a new set of clothes. Go down the hall. One of the droids will assist you."

"Alright." Arian replied. She looked at Maul once more, then started walking to the doorway and left the hanger bay.

Once Arian left, Sidious turned to look at Maul. His sweet attitude that he would show to Arian changed into his normal, dark one.

"She is different." He told Maul. "Something isn't right.

Maul looked at his Master as he began explaining the situation. "I needed to tell you once she left, Master. She's not like a normal Sith apprentice."

Sidious blinked at him questioningly. "Explain."

Maul paused for a moment to think. He looked to the side as he wondered what to say. After gathering the details, he spoke. "Her physical strength and her Force have developed much, Master. But her hatred, her darkness… It's-"

"Not there. She no longer hates you." Sidious finished Maul's sentence for him.

Maul nodded. "Yes, Master."

"I see." Sidious walked past Maul. Maul followed his movements with his eyes.

"She willingly follows me now. It's not like how I gave into the dark side. She even called me, "Master"." Maul explained.

"She called you that with no hate or contempt?" Sidious asked with his hand placed under his chin.

"Yes. No hate at all. But I think it may be because of her loneliness on the planet." Maul looked straight forward since Sidious was now behind him and out of his view.

"And what do you mean by that?" Sidious placed the hand that was under his chin to rest behind his back.

Maul lowered his head slightly. "I think that at the time, since she had no one to talk to, she would say or do anything to be in anyone's company. She would even rather be around someone she hates just so she wouldn't be alone."

Sidious thought for a moment as he walked in a large circle around Maul. Before he began to speak, Maul continued on with what he wanted to say. "I thought that once she and I came back here, I could continue to train her."

Sidious walked in front of Maul and stopped directly in front of him. "You mean to train her harder than before, even? Make her hate you like she did?"

Maul nodded. "Yes, Master."

Sidious stared at Maul. "Good. And if that doesn't work, we'll find an alternative way to bring out her darkness." He turned from Maul and faced the opposite direction. "Everyone had darkness inside of them, whether they want to admit it or not." He began walking to the exit door. "It's just that the darkness has to be brought out. She definitely had much inside her. We know that from before."

Maul followed behind Sidious.

"There us no better person to bring it out of her again then you, Maul." Sidious said as the automatic door opened for him.

Maul lowered his head in thought as he walked behind Sidious. He thought about how Sidious was his Master. Then about how Arian claimed him Master. 'Will she still call me Master even after I train her more brutally?' The future puzzled him.

But he would know quickly enough.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! So Arian finally got off of the planet. Yay! :D I don't really know what else to write in this author's note… Oh yeah, Kilinidi (in the previous chapter) is an official character that is in the book, "The Wrath of Darth Maul". And yes, Maul watched her swim just like I had described. Anyway, I'll update as soon as I can. I'll start working on the next chapter soon.<strong>


	12. Chapter 12: Silence

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 12: Silence

One week passed. Maul continued on with his regular training and meditation, whilst Arian rested and her leg wound had continued to heal. One of the medical droids had injected her with a serum that would help her wound heal from the inside. They also put bacta medicine on the outside o it. When the week was over, the wound had completely healed, and left only a faint scar.

During the week, Sidious would observe Arian using the camera that Maul had set up without her knowing. As the days had passed, Arian didn't seem to change. She was still calm and much quieter than before. But now was the beginning of a new week. And since she finished healing, Maul could continue to train her.

Sidious left in the morning of the new week to once again go to his senatorial meetings. Which, of course, left Maul and Arian alone.

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><p>Maul woke up early like always, and dressed himself in his regular black Sith robes. He walked from his room down the long corridor to Arian's room. He began pressing buttons on the keypad that would open her room door. 'She's going to be asleep. I'll have to wake her up in a way that will anger her.' He thought as he pressed the last button.<p>

The door opened and to his surprise, he saw Arian was already awake and almost fully dressed. She was only finishing putting on her last leg stocking as shoes.

Arian turned her head to look at Maul as she bent over to finish putting on the last of her clothing. Once she finished she stoop straight and looked directly at Maul. "Master, I awoke early."

This was the first time Maul had seen her wake up and get dressed without him having to tell her to do so. 'Then I can't anger her…' He tried to think of a way to twist the situation into his favor.

Arian made a small smiled. 'I hope he's proud of me.'

Maul sensed Arian's feelings. 'She wants me to feel proud.' He thought. Then he figured out how he might anger her.

"Did I tell you to get up and get dressed?" He asked her with a blank face, preventing her to read his expression.

Arian's smile turned into a small look of worry. Her eyes darted to the ground and back up to Maul. "No, Master."

Maul walked closer to her. Arian felt worried at what he might do. She continued to look at him as she tried to read what he was feeling. But he was so good at hiding it that she wasn't able to tell.

Maul loomed over her. His piercing yellow eyes stared into her deep brown once. He could sense her worry.

Unable to control herself from her unease of him, Arian held her hands together and looked down. She didn't know what to do.

Maul's gaze on her never deterred. After a few seconds of silence, he swiftly brought his gloved hand up and slapped her as hard as he could in the face, meanwhile gnashing his teeth together.

The force from the slap caused Arian to yell, twist, and fall to the ground. She caught herself on her hands, and her head leaned down as she felt her cheek swell with pain.

Maul set his hand down to rest at his side. His expression turned back to it's calm one. He watched Arian prop herself on the ground. "You only do as I say, when I say it, Understand?"

Arian stared at the floor, confused. 'I thought that if I woke up early, it would please him… I guess not.' She nodded to comply to Maul. "Yes, Master Maul."

"Now stand up." Maul turned his back to her and faced the doorway.

Arian touched her aching cheek, then got up from the floor. She turned to Maul and looked at him. She felt slightly sad inside, but allowed it not to affect her.

Maul walked through the doorway and Arian followed him.

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><p>Maul and Arian stood in the middle of the training room. Maul turned to Arian to speak to her. "You said that back on the planet, you trained your Force." Of course he already knew that, but he had to make it seem to her that he didn't know.<p>

"Yes, Master Maul. I'm much stronger than I was before." Arian told him with slight enthusiasm in her voice.

Maul turned from her and pressed some buttons on the keypad. "We'll see about that."

Five cylinders rose from the floor panels of the training room. Arian knew that Maul wanted her to use the Force on them as a way to test her improvement.

"Lift them all." Maul told her, turning from the keypad and facing her again.

Arian looked at him and nodded, then turned to the cylinders. She walked to the center of the five cylinders, all of them surrounding her.

Maul watched as Arian calmed herself and lifted her arms into the air. Arian closed her eyes and concentrated solely on lifting the heavy objects.

Maul saw the cylinders begin to vibrate, then slowly hover from the ground. He heard Arian make a small grunt as she lifted her arms even higher, the cylinders moving in sync with them higher into the air.

Arian stayed straight and didn't struggle the way she had when she first had lifted them those many weeks before. Her concentration was much stronger, as was her Force. She felt proud of herself and hoped for Maul to feel proud, too.

Maul saw that Arian was able to lift them and hold them in the air without struggling. Those days she went on meditation and Force training developed her skills greatly. But he did notice something that was out of place… 'Her entire concentration is only on lifting them.' Of course he would use it to his advantage.

He slowly walked close behind her, his footsteps not making even the slightest sound. Arian didn't sense or even notice Maul standing behind her… Until she felt a sharp pain suddenly course through the middle of her back.

Maul had made a quick, sharp jab with his right hand directly in the middle of her spine. Arian's concentration broke from the pain, causing all of the cylinders to crash onto the hard floor. Her body leaned forward as she felt the pain travel up her back.

Maul set his hand to his side. "You concentrated too heavily on the cylinders."

The pain in Arian's back began to subside. She turned around and faced Maul. "But I thought that's what you wanted me to do, Master."

Maul stared her in the face. "You must be aware of your surroundings. If you are ever in battle and your focus is on only your Force, you will be defeated or killed. Do you think your enemies would give you a chance to focus on your Force without taking that chance to strike you?"

Arian's head dropped slightly, but her eyes stayed on Maul's. "No, Master. They would take the chance and hit me."

Maul walked closer to Arian, not once allowing his stare to wander from hers. "One thing is for sure, though. Your connection with the Force is much stronger than it was. Therefore, your training can increase."

Curiosity appeared in Arian's eyes. "How can I increase my training, Master?"

Maul's gaze stayed on her as he began to slowly walk behind her. Arian followed his movements, but stayed standing in place. She wondered what he was doing.

"Close your eyes." Maul commanded her while standing behind her.

Arian gulped and made a small sigh through her nose. She readied herself as she thought that Maul was about to physically punish her. Then she closed her eyes.

Maul reached into the opening of his robes and pulled out a long, red, ribbon-like bandanna. Gripping it with both hands, he tugged it tight and lifted his arms over Arian's head.

Arian felt Maul set the ribbon down on her neckline. 'What is he…?' Her thoughts stopped when she felt his gloved fingers slide across both sides of her neck. Time seemed to slow down to her as she focused on the shape of his fingertips. 'This is the first time I've physically felt him without him hitting or punishing me…' She thought.

Maul lifted her braided hair from her neck and was about to tie the bandanna. But her stopped as he sensed a strange feeling coming from Arian. He stared at her, only able to see the top of her head and a bit of her nose from the angle.

Arian felt a strange sensation arise in her chest due to Maul's touch. She couldn't tell what the feeling was, but it made her feel awkward. She continued to focus on his hands, noticing a deep warmth that seeped through his gloves. 'Is his body really that warm?'

Maul couldn't tell what exactly Arian was feeling. And he thought that she didn't even know, herself. But it didn't matter. He continued with what he was doing and lifted the bandanna from her neck to her eyes, tying it tight around the back of her head.

Arian felt the bandanna's thick, silky material wrap around her eyes. It tightened as Maul knotted it around the back of her head.

Maul stepped back and walked in front of Arian. He looked at her face, making sure that the blindfold was secure. "You cannot see anything?" He asked her.

"No, Master." Arian replied, nodding her head back and forth.

Maul walked slowly to the side, his footsteps nearly silent. He stared Arian down like a wolf about to attack it's prey.

Arian didn't hear Maul pace to the side. She actually thought he was still in front of her. She kept her head facing forward, thinking that she was still facing him.

Maul walked closer to Arian and circled her. He noticed that she had no idea that he was no longer in front of her.

Then he struck. He tripped Arian's feet with his own, causing her to fall flat on her back.

"H-huh?" Arian exclaimed. The trop was so fast and sudden she didn't even know what happened. And with the blindfold on she was even more lost.

Maul leaped over her fallen form. Immedietly upon landing, he grabbed her right arm and swung her body hard into a nearby wall like a rag doll. Arian screamed in pain as her back and head hit the wall. Heat and throbbing pain swelled throughout her back from the impact.

Arian moved her hand to the blindfold, about to strip it from her eyes.

"Don't remove it!" Maul fiercely yelled.

Arian stopped and dropped her hand to her side. She tilted her head down as it continued to pound.

Maul stood in front of her. "Reach out with your senses. Find me through means of the Force."

Arian tried her best to stand, finding it difficult to do so from the pain still coursing through her. But she forced herself. She stood still and tried doing what he told her. 'Reach out with my sense…'

Maul stood still, watching her. He felt her trying to concentrate.

Arian thought back to only a minute or so before when she had felt Maul's body heat. 'Can I use that?' She wondered, thinking that she might be able to sense where he is through his physical body heat. She didn't know exactly how to use the Force to sense him, so she decided to do only what she believed she could. She blindly started to run, hoping that she might run towards him

Easily, Maul dodged her. Arian nearly tripped over since she didn't run into anything solid. She twisted her head side to side and held her hands up, trying to use her physical senses instead of the Force.

Maul stood close to her after dodging and looked down at her.

Since Maul stood so close to her, Arian could feel his body heat. 'He's right there!' She yelled in her mind. She moved slowly, trying to not allow Maul to notice that she was about to grab at him.

But of course, he did notice it and dodged her again when she sped up and tried to seize him.

This little game of hers went on for about 10 minutes until Arian wore herself out. She walked around with her hands in front of her, trying to feel her way around. Eventually she found a wall and leaned against it. Her breathes were heavy and strained. Not once was she even able to graze her hand against his robes. He was too fast for her, and the blindfold made it nearly impossible.

Maul crossed his arms and stared at her. He hadn't expected her to be able to catch him, but he did think that she would at least be able to sense him better using the Force. 'Disappointing.' He thought. "Take off the blindfold." He told her.

Arian, annoyed and angry, ripped the blindfold from her eyes.

Maul uncrossed his arms and walked closer to her. Arian stared at him, agitated and annoyed. "Your connection with the Force is stronger than before. I see that since you are able to lift the cylinders." Maul said. "But your concentration is just as weak as it had been."

Arian ruffled her eyebrows angrily. "It's hard for me to concentrate, Master."

Maul walked even closer to her and bent over. His eyes met incredibly close with hers.

Arian's eyes widened from Maul's sudden and close glare. She felt herself lean harder against the wall as she stared at his yellow-orange eyes.

"And what makes it so hard for you to concentrate?" Maul's voice was deep and quiet, almost like a low growl. He made his stare intimidating.

Arian tried her best not to flinch and just answer him as quickly as she could. "I don't know, Master."

Maul continued to stare at her for a few seconds, trying to read her reactions. He wouldn't take that for an answer. He stepped back quickly and held his hand out in front of him and began choking Arian with a Force grip.

Arian stood on her tip-toes as she grabbed at her throat and coughed in small chokes. Her eyes were open only slightly, but she could see Maul in front of her with his hand out, using his Force on her. Anger started to grow inside her again as she watched the person whom she called her Master choke her.

Once Maul sensed the anger in her increase, he let his hold on her go. Arian fell back on her feet and caught herself on the wall. She panted heavily and held her aching throat with an angry look on her face.

Maul felt a joy inside him as he once again sensed the anger in her. He had thought that it was gone, but he knew that with more of a push she would hate him again. "You are angry."

Arian stared at him, trying to contain her anger as she continued to hold her throat and wheeze. She said nothing.

Maul didn't allow the joy he felt to be seen on his face. "Do you not hate me?"

Arian averted her gaze, yet still said nothing.

Maul's joy slowly turned to annoyance when he saw that she wasn't answering him. He decided he would force her to answer.

Arian's head swept sideways as Maul backhanded her in the face just as hard as he had in the early morning. Except this time, Arian didn't cry out or fall over. She only continued to stay silent and turn her look away.

Maul's usually expressionless face turned to that of an infuriated one. He never expected Arian, who would more than often talk back to him and allow her anger to control her, to remain wordless. He saw that no matter what he did, she wasn't going to talk. So he decided to move on and allow her to wallow in her silence and anger and just continue on with her training. He turned from her and headed towards the exit door of the training room.

Arian finally caught her breath and looked at him. She saw his back turned to her as he walked away. 'I'm even a little surprised with myself…' She thought. She stood straight and stopped leaning on the wall. 'I felt anger from what he did but I…' She followed after her Master silently. '-I still don't feel any hate for him…'

Maul stopped at the training room's door as he heard Arian's small footsteps behind him. He waited for her to get near him.

Arian stopped once she stood directly behind Maul. They both stood outside the entrance and Maul closed the door to the room.

The door shut and Arian stood behind Maul. Both were silent. Maul lost in his own thoughts, and Arian in hers.

'I don't understand… How has she been able to change this much and loose hate for me?' Maul thought. He even wondered if he could even do anything at this point to bring her hate out. But he wasn't going to give up.

Arian's thoughts were completely different from his. 'I don't hate you, Master… And for some reason, I don't want to.' She looked down at her feet and remembered back to her dream she had while alone on the planet. '…I know that if I wasn't with you, I would be nothing.'

Maul was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even sense what Arian was thinking or feeling. He snapped himself from his thoughts and started to walk once again. Arian looked back up and saw him walking away.

She followed him without any deliberation and uttered not a single word. He was her Master, after all. And the apprentice had to obey the Master.

But to Arian, he wasn't just her Master. He was the only person she had. And without him, she had nothing.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I know that I took a long time to update this chapter, but it's only because I've been very busy with work and some other projects I'm working on. Also, I kinda had writer's block, but I would randomly get ideas in my head for future chapters. So, I was busy writing all those ideas down, too! Also, I drew the cover to this fanfic and posted in on my deviantart page. So to anyone who want's to see it, it's there on deviantart. My deviant art username is Cyraina. And Arian is on the cover, so to anyone who wants to see what she looks like, just look at the picture. And since this site now allows cover art, I made it the cover here. But the image is too small, so just go to my art page and get a better look at it. So, tell me what you guys think of Arian's development and your opinion on this chapter. Thanks! ^_^<strong>


	13. Chapter 13: Observation part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 13: Observation part 1

Arian trained and studied with Maul just as she had before she had been sent to the planet to survive alone. Only now, Maul was even more strict than he had been, and the training he bestowed on her was as brutal as before.

The first day of the new week passed quickly. Maul looked at the monitor that showed Arian live in her room. Her exhaust from the training caused her to sleep as sound as ever. He watched her as he thought about the day that passed.

He remembered how Arian acted during their meditation session which took place after her Force training. She had still kept silent, and no anger or hate could be sensed within her. To Maul, she seemed like a completely different person.

Maul snapped from his thoughts as he heard a signal on his comlink. "Master?' He wondered. 'He usually doesn't call this soon once at the senatorial meetings.' He took the comlink from the inside of his robes and pressed the answering button. Sidious appeared before him as a blue hologram. His face was concealed by his dark cloak.

"Yes, Master Sidious?" Maul obediently asked.

"Lord Maul, I am returning within a few minutes. Be sure to meet me in the hanger." Sidious told him.

Maul nodded. "Yes, my Master."

Sidious replied with a "hmm" and ended the transmission.

Maul placed the comlink back in his robes. He turned to look at Arian once more on the monitor. She had not moved even an inch. He scoffed from his nose and turned away, heading to the hanger.

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><p>Like Sidious told him, it took only a few minutes for him to arrive back to his hidden base. Maul awaited him, patiently and calmly, in the hanger bay.<p>

Sidious flew Scimitar into the hanger and turned off the cloaking. He could see his apprentice near the entrance door to the room, waiting for him. He fully landed Scimitar and turned its engine off, then opened the door to step out.

Like always, Maul walked over to Scimitar to greet his Master. He bowed before him as he saw Sidious step down the ramp.

"Lord Sidious." Maul said.

Sidious removed his cloak, revealing his wrinkled face. He motioned for Maul to stand.

On command, Maul stood up. He looked his Master in the eyes.

"Any change in her?" Sidious placed his hands behind his back.

Maul shook his head. "No, Master. I trained her as hard as ever, and she seemed to actually go even more backwards."

Sidious looked confused. "Backwards?"

"I hit her, I Force choked her, and I asked her if she hated me." Maul explained with little emotion.

"And what was her response?" Sidious started to walk to the door that led out of the hanger.

Maul followed beside him. "Nothing. She kept silent immedietly afterwards. And for the rest of the day, she continued to say nothing."

Sidious opened the door. "The opposite of what she was before; loud, aggressive, compulsive… And now silent."

"Exactly, my Lord." Maul replied as he walked through the door with him.

Sidious walked down the hall that led to his sleeping quarters. "I suppose she is asleep at the moment?"

Maul stopped with Sidious once they reached the door to his bedroom. "Yes, Master."

Sidious pressed the button on the keypad. His door opened, but before he entered he turned to Maul to tell him one last thing. "I will awaken her in the morning. Do not train her tomorrow unless I give the word for you to."

Maul bowed respectfully. "Yes, Lord Sidious."

Sidious turned from Maul and walked into his bedroom. "I want to observe her on a few things. She is puzzling me with this new attitude of hers." He told Maul, who stood behind him.

Maul watched Sidious enter his room. 'Observe her?' Maul wondered.

Sidious could sense his curiosity. He smiled to himself. "I will find out the reasoning behind her change."

Maul paused for a few seconds. He wondered what his master would do. But he trusted him. "Yes, Lord." He bowed.

Sidious closed his bedroom door, leaving Maul alone and to his thoughts. He walked from Sidious' door and down the hall that led to his own bedroom. He felt he would sleep restlessly tonight as he pondered what his Master was going to do to Arian as to observe her.

He would see in morning's time.

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><p>Arian squirmed in her bed as she dreamed. Random images flashed in her mind, images she couldn't remember or even recognize.<p>

One of the images was of a pale, somewhat elderly hand with long, thin fingers. The hand moved slowly and tenderly as it came into contact with and set down on a tiny, pale shoulder. Then the image flashed and changed to another one.

The next image showed two people, but no details or features on them were visible. They were shown as silhouettes. A third silhouette walked up to the other two. Then, it spoke. "You both are my best friends." The image then flashed again to another one.

A girl's back showed. It was pale white and bare. A silhouetted hand, which looked masculine in shape and form, ran down the white, feminine back. It's touch seemed gentle and very affectionate. As the fingertips slid down the back, Arian got a warm, loving feeling in her chest from seeing the image. Then she saw the hand slowly lift some sort of poking tool. The hand took the poking tool and dipped it in a black colored ink. Another hand came into view, which then touched the pale, feminine back once again. It moved in a way that seemed calming and preparing, as if the back belonging to the person laying down was about to be in pain. The white back rose up and down serenely, showing the one with the poking tool that it was ready for what it was about to do.

Then, Arian heard a deep, male voice. The voice sounded very loving and warmhearted. "This tattoo will represent our-" The voice cut off and the image faded to black.

As Arian continued to see only darkness, she felt a sudden burning and stabbing pain in her middle back. The pain caused her to jolt awake. She sat up quickly and gasped. Her eyes were wide with alarm.

She didn't notice, but Sidious was standing right next to her bed. "A nightmare, my dear?" He amiably questioned.

Arian finally caught her breath and turned to see Sidious standing close to her. She paused to think about what just happened, and finally came to realize that it was just another dream. "Y-yeah…" She answered. She knew that it wasn't just a normal nightmare, but she didn't want anyone else to know that.

Sidious smiled at her and patted her robbed back. "It is alright, young one. Only a dream. Nothing more, nothing less."

Arian merely nodded and turned her stare from him and to her bare feet. She sighed outwardly.

Sidious took his hand from her back and walked towards her open door. "You should get dressed. You wouldn't want to come into the dining room dressed in your sleeping robes, now would you?"

Arian gawked at him, then nodded in agreement. 'Okay, I'll get dressed."

Sidious turned and faced her doorway once outside. He placed his hand on the keypad. "Just knock when you're done." The door closed shut.

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><p>It only took Arian a couple of minutes to dress. She finished up and was about to knock on the door, but Sidious opened it before she had time to. 'I guess he sensed me?' She thought.<p>

Sidious smiled at her and turned to face the hallway. "Come."

Arian followed him without hesitation. Sidious walked in front of her and she walked behind.

Sidious noticed the silence between them both as they continued on their way to the dining room. Withiout any noise or distractions, he was able to more easily sense Arian's emotions. He felt a deep calmness, one that she didn't have when he first met her.

Arian looked at Sidious' back and started thinking and wondering about him. She was curious about something, so she decided to ask him about it. "Master Sidious."

Sidious continued to walk and didn't turn around as she called his name. But he did reply. "Yes, Arian?"

Arian continued to look at his back. "I noticed that you have to leave here a lot. I asked Master Maul about it, but he wouldn't tell me where you go or what you do. So I was just wondering."

Sidious knew she would ask him sooner or later. But it didn't bother him. "In time I will tell you, Arian. But now isn't the time. I'm sure you understand."

It didn't trouble her. "It's alright. I understand." It wasn't really something she thought about frequently anyway.

Sidious and Arian finally reached the dining room. Arian sat down in the seat that she always sat in. Sidious also sat in his normal seat which was on the far end of the table.

Arian made herself comfortable in the dining chair. She watched as the service droid walked up to Sidious and he told it a list of things he wanted the droid to serve. As he ordered it, Arian looked at the third dining chair and noticed it was completely empty. She was used to seeing Maul sit there, so she wondered where he was today. This was the first day that she hadn't seen Maul even once.

Even as Sidious looked at the droid and not Arian, he could see her reactions from the corner of his eye. He noticed immedietly that she was already think about Maul, wondering where he was.

The droid left once Sidious finished giving it his orders. Sidious quietly turned and watched Arian. He saw her still staring at the empty chair.

Thoughts flew through Arian's mind as she continued to stare at the empty chair. She thought back to when she first met Maul, and how much hate she grew for him because of how he treated her. Then she thought about her revelation and her change of mind about how she felt towards him while alone on the planet.

'I had hated him so much and wanted nothing to do with him, and look at me now… I can't stop wondering where he is and what he's doing.' Arian felt her lips drying out, so she licked them. She clasped her hands together on her lap and still stared intently at the chair. 'I don't understand myself. How could I go from hating him to feeling like this? It's like I never even hated him to begin with.' She sighed. 'He physically harms me, he trains me hard, he calls me hurtful things… But…' She remembered how alone she was on Tatooine. She had no one. No one who took care of her or helped her in a way besides giving her food. She was alone for four years straight, and she couldn't remember any of her past before that. It's like her whole life, she was alone. '…But maybe he's doing those things for a reason. With his help, I can become stronger.' She remembered that she had thought these things before when she was still on the planet alone, surviving. 'At this point I'm just repeating it all again in my mind. Searching for something that I already know the answers to. I shouldn't keep going over it again and again in my head. He is my Master. Mean to me or not, he's all I have in the whole galaxy. I really am alone without him…'

The full time that Sidious waited for the droid to make the food, he observed and studied Arian's behavior and feelings. He could feel exactly what she was feeling, and through the feelings read her inner thoughts. He finally understood her loyalty and attachment towards his Zabraki apprentice. 'She feels that if she wasn't around him she would be alone. And she is right.' He thought. But his studies over her weren't done. He still wanted to see more. 'I will see how she acts next when I watch him train her.'

Arian hadn't noticed that in the amount of time she was thinking, over thirty minutes had passed. She hadn't said one word to Sidious. All she did was gawk at the chair the whole time. The droid came in with their food, and set the table, readying them their meal.

Arian looked at her tasteful food. She had an appetite, but she didn't really feel like eating. Sidious began to eat, but noticed she wouldn't even touch her food. He already could tell what she was feeling, but he decided to ask her about it so she wouldn't catch on that he knew. "What's the matter?"

Arian's eyes widened as Sidious spoke. She looked at him and felt tongue-tied since she hadn't spoken to him the whole time they waited for the food. "Nothing! Master Sidious… I just."

Sidious chewed and swallowed his food. "Yes?"

Arian turned her look from him and then to the empty chair, then to her food. "I'm just wondering where Master Maul is. He usually eats with me- I mean us!" She felt idiotic from what she just said.

Sidious smirked. But Arian didn't see his smile. "He is practicing his skills right now in the training room."

Arian was even used to him training with her and not really alone. 'So that's where he is.' She thought. She knew his skills were great, they had to be if he was a Sith Lord, but she never really saw them get put to use all that well. When he trained her, he probably wasn't even using half of his abilities.

Before Sidious took another bite, he spoke. "You should eat. You need your energy."

Arian looked at him. "Right." She said. She picked up her fork and started to eat.

Sidious wiped his mouth once he finished. He felt like testing her again, but he had to say what he wanted in a way that didn't seem like a question. "You know, you can relax from your training today." He thought of a way to trick her into answering what he was thinking. "You don't need to train if you don't want to today."

Arian stopped chewing as she felt surprised. 'Relax? Not train?' She felt relieved. But then a realization came to her mind. 'But if I don't train today, what will I do? And will I even…' She paused a second before thinking again. 'Will I get to see Maul? I don't want to take that chance to relax and not see him.' She made up her mind. "It's okay, Master Sidious. I want to train today."

Sidious smiled inwardly. "That's fine with me. As I said, it's your choice."

Arian's lips curved into a small smile. "Thank you, Master."

Sidious had finished his food, but he sat to wait for Arian. He watched her eat as he thought about this first observation. 'Her answer was what I thought it would be. She could've taken a break and relaxed, but she chose to continue to train just so she can be near him.' His elbows perched against the top of the table as he placed his hands under his chin and rested his head on them. 'From what I've seen so far, she follows him loyally like a dog. Very strange since it is not through hate, but through choice and loneliness.'

Arian finished her food and looked at Sidious.

Sidious looked at her but continued to think. 'Since she decided to continue to train, I can make my next observation.' He stood up and smiled at Arian. "Alright. We'll go to the training room, now." He walked from his seat and towards the door. The service droid went near the table and began to clean up.

Arian stood up and followed Sidious. She wondered what Maul was going to be doing as he trained alone. She didn't have to wait long. It would only take a few minutes to get to the training room.

And she was glad she was going to see him again.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I noticed I haven't been getting many reviews since my last two updates, so I'm asking please… More reviews this time? Pretty please? Lolz Anyway, I don't have much to write in this author's note, either. All I can say is that I'm still working on this fanfic and I'll start the next chapter as soon as I can. Oh, and for anyone who might be interested, I drew a really funny Maul and Savage picture and posted it on my deviantart page. It's titled "My derpy brother". So, if anyone wants to have a good laugh, go over and see it! I made it, and it made me lol pretty good! XD Please tell me your opinion on this chapter and what you thought of Arian and Sidious in it. Thankies! ^_^<strong>


	14. Chapter 14: Observation part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 14: Observation part 2

Maul ran past a training droid, which was spherical in shape and black in color. It's antennae swirled as it made beeping noises and fired it's lasers at Maul. Maul's speed outmatched the droid's lasers even though it's small turret was turned up to the maximum.

With his double-bladed red light saber in hand, Maul leaped high into the air and brought the weapon crashing down upon the round droid. After the swift cur, he landed supplely on his feet and stood straight and silent as he stared at the droid.

The droid's turret stopped suddenly, as did it's functioning. Maul stared at it as it stayed intact for only a few seconds, then it split in two. A perfect straight line of hot, melted metal could be seen down it's split. The droid's two halves fell to the floor with two loud clanks.

Maul made no sounds or movements once the droid had split in half. He only stared. Other types of droids that he had defeated lay unmoving and in pieces around the training room. 'Only good for scrap metal, now.' He thought. He pressed the button on his lightsaber, retracting both ends of it.

Maul turned when he heard the training room door open.

Arian stood beside Sidious as he opened the door. She made a small gasp and felt the blood rush to her face as she was unprepared for what she saw.

There stood Maul, very different from what Arian was used to seeing. He wore his normal black boots and pants, but no clothing, not his gloves or any shirt, adorned his upper half. Arian gazed in awe at every tight muscle on Maul's chest and arms. 'Those muscles…' She thought. Then her focus went on the red and black designs that she now knew were on more than just his head. 'I remember Sidious telling me that the Dathomirians and Zabraks all have tattoos. But I never imagined how they would look on the…' She gawked even more at Maul's sleek built, tattooed body. '…On the male form.' Her heart skipped a beat. 'He's so handsome.'

Sidious sensed Arian's immediate physical attraction towards the half-clothed Maul. He had never sensed such a feeling from her before…

…But that doesn't mean that it was something to be unexpected. She was a Dathomirian female, after all. And Maul, being a Dathomirian-Zabrak male, made her attraction to him all the more normal. 'They are of the same race, so if she has such feelings it's probably instinctual.' Sidious made no attempt to let either Arian or Maul know what he thought.

'But then again, she already feels attached to him and sees him as her Master… So is this attraction from instinct…' Sidious looked at Arian, then at Maul. He smiled a normal, unnoticing smile. '…Or is it something more?' He could only know for himself through more observations.

Arian noticed herself staring at Maul. But she felt so frozen she couldn't stop. Maul, however, didn't even notice. He was only looking at Sidious. Arian turned her head to face the floor and blushed even harder. 'I shouldn't feel attracted to him, it isn't right.' She thought. 'He's my Master. Nothing else than that.'

Sidious noticed Arian looking down and avoiding any type of eye contact. Maul only now noticed her behavior once he saw Sidious look at her.

"Arian." Sidious unexpectedly spoke.

Arian's head quickly shot up when she heard her name being called. She stood stiff and straight as she tried her best to force herself to stop blushing. "Yes, Master Sidious?"

Sidious turned his look from Arian and then to Maul. "Arian, we are going to try something different today." He spoke to her but looked at Maul, as if speaking to him subliminally.

Arian curiously looked at Sidious. Her face was still noticeably red from blushing.

Maul continued to face Sidious, but allowed his eyes to travel over to Arian. He noticed how tense she looked and the red on her face. 'Why is she blushing?' He wondered. The reasons escaped him.

Sidious continued after a long pause. "Your skills with the Force have improved much, but still require more training. But I want you to move on to something more difficult."

Arian's blushing reduced as she focused on what Sidious had to tell her. "And what would be more difficult then Force training?"

Sidious' lips curved into a smile. "Lightsaber training."

Maul's mouth parted as he was taken back by what his Master said. 'Lightsaber training? This soon? She isn't nearly skilled enough yet.'

Arian felt surprised, too. But in a different way. She remembered back to when Maul had saved her from the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine. Her vision had been very weak at the time, but she retained the memory of him holding a red, glowing, long object. And throughout her time on Tatooine, she read books which contained information on the Lightsabers as well. She turned from Sidious and looked at Maul's hand. She saw him clutching a long, metal object. 'That must be his own lightsaber.' She thought.

Sidious looked back down at Arian. "I see you noticed Maul's lightsaber."

"Yeah," Arian looked at Sidious. She felt a little excited. 'I always wanted to use on of those!' She smiled.

Sidious continued. "You may get your own one day. But for now, you will only practice with one."

Arian nodded. 'That's okay, I guess. As long as I can even try one.'

Sidious put his hands behind his back and looked at Maul again. "Lord Maul."

Maul looked from Arian and at his Master. He gripped his lightsaber tight. "Yes, Master?"

"I want you to demonstrate to Arian a simple way to use the lightsaber." Sidious explained. "Only use one blade for now, though. She is a beginner, after all, and not ready for anything more complex than one blade." He walked over to the keypad and pressed a button. One of the hatches underneath the floor of the training room opened up and a round droid flew out. Sidious set the droid's settings using the keypad to "stand" which caused it to only float in the air and refrain from attacking or dodging.

Arian watched Maul turn around and face the droid. She hadn't seen his backside yet, so she stared at his also built, tattooed back. She blushed again as she looked at his masculine sculpted shoulder blades. They bent inward slightly as he breathed in and out. Arian mentally slapped herself. 'I need to focus on what he's showing me! Not his body!'

Sidious placed his wrinkled hand upon Arian's back. "Are you paying attention, my dear?"

Arian forced herself to stop blushing. "Yes, Master." She somewhat lied, even though she didn't want to.

Maul turned his head over his shoulder to look at Arian to make sure she was attentive.

Arian saw him look at her. She looked him in the face with big eyes. She felt ready for his demonstration.

Once Maul saw she was focused on him, he turned his head back to face the droid. The muscles in his right wrist tightened as he pressed one red button on his lightsaber.

Arian felt her heart jump as she heard the incredible, deep, electrical sound swoosh out of the lightsaber. She stared in awe at the blood-red glowing beam that shot out of the saber's hilt. The sight was something that she had only dreamed of seeing when she was trapped on Tatooine. She felt pure joy and excitement to finally be able to witness it.

Grasping the saber in both hands, Maul readed himself. He stood still for only a second before running straight for the droid. While in running motion, he sliced the droid down the middle. And before it even had a chance to split in two, he cut it horizontally.

Maul's speed was so quick, Arian barely had time to focus her eyes on each slash Maul made. 'He's so quick!' She thought.

The droid fell to the floor in four separate pieces. Maul stood still and held his lightsaber at his side.

Arian only stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. Sidious chuckled at her reaction.

Maul turned and faced Sidious and Arian. He looked at Arian's expression and saw how amazed she was. But he knew that what he had down was no feat, really. It was only a few swipes of his lightsaber, nothing more.

"You watched what he did and how he moved, correct?" Sidious asked.

Arian's attention snapped from Maul and onto what Sidious was asking her. "Y-yes." She stuttered as she focused her attention on Sidious. "He slashed it vertically, then horizontally."

"Correct." Sidious said. "But there is more to it that just swinging it. One needs skill, and one can only gain skill through patience." He gently pushed Arian's back, causing her to nudge forward.

'Huh?' Arian was curious as to what Sidious was doing.

Sidious removed his hand from Arian's back and rest it to his side. "Go ahead and take a hold of his lightsaber."

Maul squinted his eye ridges angrily, but not enough for Sidious to notice. He stared at Arian, who in turn stared back at him. 'I don't want her touching my saber.' He thought.

Arian could tell by his expression that he didn't want her to even come close to his lightsaber. She looked back at Sidious, unsure of what she should do. He nodded at her, showing her to go ahead and take it. She turned forward again and walked towards Maul.

Maul continued to stare at Arian as she walked up to him. He didn't move even an inch.

Arian looked straight up at him. He only scowled at her. She looked downward then back at him from a feeling of unease.

Maul sighed frustratingly and thrust his hand forward; which held his light saber, towards Arian. Arian reacted by leaning away from his thrust.

Maul awaited Arian to take the lightsaber. She stared at it for only a moment, then slowly brought her hand to it. Her fingers wrapped around the metal shaft as she took it from Maul's hands.

Arian felt joy course through her as she finally took hold of the saber. She examined each and every little detail that was visible on it. 'It's a lot lighter than I thought it would be.' She thought as she held it close to her face. She could even hear the faint buzzing of the red, electrical beam.

Sidious and Maul both stared at Arian as she in took the lightsaber's design and texture. Her face illuminated a red glow from the saber's crimson ray.

Sidious smiled and sighed through his nose. "Arian."

Arian was so focused on the lightsaber, she didn't hear Sidious call out to her.

"Arian." Sidious repeated. Arian still didn't hear him.

Maul got aggravated at Arian's ignorance. He wanted to strike her, but not in front of his Master. Instead, he roughly tapped his hand against her shoulder. "Listen." He told her evenly, yet at the same time harshly.

Arian became aware after Maul tapped her that Sidious was trying to speak to her. She held the lightsaber still and turned her head to see what Sidious wanted to tell her.

Once Sidious knew he had her attention, he spoke. "Try doing what you saw Lord Maul do, but without actually attacking a droid."

Arian stared at Sidious, then turned to look at Maul. He looked at her in a demanding way as if telling her to go on and swing it. Her eyes turned to the saber and she took a few steps to the side. 'I don't want to hit any one.' She thought, but then she remembered Maul's speed when he split the droid. 'But then again, even if I swung near him he'd probably dodge it with no problem. I still don't know how good his skills really may be.'

Maul noticed that Arian was holding the saber wrong and differently than how he had held it. He looked at Sidious and saw that he was also watching the young girl. 'Surely he must know that she's already doing it wrong.' He noticed that Sidious wouldn't correct her on the mistake, which wasn't normal for him. 'Why doesn't he say anything to her?'

Sidious continued to watch Arian as she made her first swing with the lightsaber. Because of how she held it, he already knew that she was going to mess up. But he kept silent.

Arian attempted to swing the saber. Unknowing that she was doing it wrong, she swung too hard and only used one arm. Her arm jerked and she shrieked as the lightsaber's beam seared the back of her shoulder. The sudden pain caused her to drop the saber to the floor. The button which extended and retracted the beam hit the ground, causing the beam to withdraw.

Arian held her burned shoulder. She could smell the scorched flesh. She looked at it and saw that the burn wasn't too bad, but it still hurt a little.

Sidious shot Maul a cold stare. Maul's eyes met with those of his master's. He felt taken back, wondering if he had done something wrong. 'What did I do, Master?' He wondered in his mind.

Then, Sidious gave him a hint at what he was thinking; by shooting his look to Arian, then back to Maul.

Maul didn't understand at first what he was trying to tell him. Then it became clear to him. 'Is that why he didn't correct her?' He looked at Arian, who was still holding her shoulder. 'He wants me to do it? Is this somehow part of his observation of her.' He remembered what he had told him the night before; to not do anything unless he gave him the command to.

Which, now it seemed, he told him to through gestures. He nodded at his Master in compliance.

Arian concentrated so heavily on her shoulder, she didn't notice Maul walking up to her. She felt a little embarrassed for messing up on her first try with the lightsaber.

"Arian." She heard Maul firmly call her from behind. She turned around, not knowing that he was only a few inches behind her, and almost bumped into him. She looked at the ground in humiliation.

Maul reached his hand out and used the Force to seize his lightsaber. He stared down at Arian and could sense her humiliation. But he didn't car how she felt. In his opinion, she shouldn't feel anything of the sort. Only try, and try again. He held the lightsaber in front of her face.

Arian looked at the lightsaber, still a little embarrassed.

"Take it and do it correctly this time." Maul ordered her.

Arian nodded and pushed her feelings of humiliation deep down inside her. She took the lightsaber from Maul's ungloved hand and turned around.

She readied herself with the lightsaber once again. But without even noticing, she still held the crimson energy sword incorrectly. She was about to swing, until Sidious called out to her.

"Arian, wait." Sidious said loudly and quickly. Arian held the saber in place and looked at Sidious. Maul looked at him as well.

Sidious turned his gaze to Maul. "Why don't you show her how to use it efficiently, Lord Maul?"

Maul looked at Arian and saw that she was staring up at him. He wasn't sure what he meant by showing her.

"Help her hold it correctly." Sidious continued,

Maul scoffed. 'She has to be spoon-fed everything?' He walked behind Arian.

Arian didn't know what Maul was going to do. She stood still and waited for his instructions and could hear his slow breathing behind her.

"Take the hilt with both hands." Maul told her.

Arian now noticed her mistake. She had only been using one hand the entire time. She moved her free hand up to the hilt and grasped it. Her fingers on both hands wrapped gently around it.

Siince Maul was a few inches taller than her, he could see how she positioned her hands. He noticed that she still held it slightly wrong. "Put your hands like this."

Arian felt her stomach twist as she felt Maul suddenly wrapped his arms around her body. Her mind went blank as his physical touch overwhelmed her senses.

She saw his hands grasp her own as he tried to position her hands correctly. She stayed unmoving as she observed the unique structure of his hands. They looked very strong, probably from intense training. Like the rest of his body, his hands were also tattooed with red and black patterns. The patterns gave him such a distinct, tribal feel; a feeling one wouldn't get from other races such as Twi'leks, Chagrians, Raydonians, or even humans.

As Maul tightened his hands around hers, she could see his knuckle bones underneath his skin. The mix of the tattoos and the bone structure made his hands look spider-like, much like a black widow. And compared to her own hands, which were softer and colder; Maul's hands were very warm and more robust. His hands heated her own as he held hers.

Arian remembered back to the day before when maul had lifted her hair from her neck. She had felt that warmth then, just as she did now. Except now, it was not only through his hands, but through his chest as well.

As Maul positioned Arian's hands, he had to lean his own body against hers in order to reach her hands; which outstretched and held the lightsaber. His bare, warm chest touched her back. And because of Arian's dress shape not attaching to the upper part of her neck and shoulder blades, their skin touched each others directly.

Arian also noticed a strong, mannish odor come from him. The smell wasn't really something one would consider a good aroma, but it was unique in it's own way. And the unique scent made her feel even more strange. It made her senses fuzzy, but she seemed to enjoy the feeling. 'That scent… It smells…' Her eyes closed halfway as she in took the strong aroma. '…Kind of intoxicated…' She blushed.

Maul didn't notice Arian's reaction to his touch, but Sidious knew right off the bat. He stared at her blushing face and sensed her attraction. 'Her reactions are what I thought. His touch and pheromones are affecting her. But it's still unknown to me if her reactions are only from that, or if she has grown some sort of feeling from him.'

"Now, you swing it like this." As Maul held Arian's hands tightly around the lightsaber, he swung vertically, then horizontally.

Arian's feelings she had from Maul's touch and scent disappeared as Maul jerked her arms back and forth while he swung the saber. But even as she tried to concentrate on what he was teaching her, her mind still lingered on the strange sensations she got from him. 'Why does his touch and smell effect me like this?'

Her own feelings escaped her. Her mind couldn't wrap around what she felt, so she focused the rest of her attention on her training.

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><p>For the rest of the day, Maul continued to hone Arian's lightsaber skills. Her, Maul and Sidious took a break for only a few minutes to eat, and then continued to train her. Maul physically trained her, while Sidious gave her pointers. By the end of the day, Arian was worn out and ready to rest.<p>

Arian leaned against the wall and exhaled. She was sweaty and tired from the rigorous lightsaber training.

Maul stood, almost unfazed from training the full day. He was used to harder things than lightsaber training for hours on end. Sidious had put him through the most grueling training and fighting throughout his life since he was a child. His body could handle practically any task, no matter how long or difficult. That's what made him a great Sith warrior.

Sidious had been leaning himself against the wall as he had watched Maul train Arian. Once he saw that the training was enough for the day, he stopped leaning and pressed a button on the keypad, opening the training room door. "Arian." He called out.

Arian, still panting and propping her back against the wall, turned her head to look at him. "Yes, Master Sidious?" She exhaled.

Sidious placed his hands behind his back. "You did very well with your training, today. I imagine the more you work on your skills, the more you will improve. I have faith in you."

Arian flashed him a coy grin and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Master."

Sidious nodded. "Go get cleaned up and head to your room. You need rest. I will have a droid waiting for you near your room to open your door for you."

Arian slowly pushed herself away from the wall. She rubbed her aching arms up and down and looked at Maul.

Maul only stared at her. He made no reaction to her looks towards him.

Arian looked down when she saw that Maul wasn't responding to her. "Thank you for training me, Master Maul." Her head still faced downward, but her eyes were focused on his.

Maul tilted his head towards the doorway. "Go on. Do as Master Sidious said."

Arian nodded and headed for the door. Before completely exiting, she turned back to look at Maul once more. Her eyes traced over his tattooed body as she tried to keep the image of him etched in her mind. She looked once more at his face. He was still expressionless. She turned back towards the doorway and left the room entirely.

Maul withdrew the blade on his lightsaber and stared at the door that Arian had exited from. He didn't let Arian notice it, but his mind had been concentrating on her the whole day that he trained her. He had constantly wondered how exactly Sidious observing him training her would help in him knowing why she became so obedient to him so easily and willingly.

Sidious sensed Maul's interest in his observations. He smirked and walked over to Maul. "Lord Maul."

Maul turned his attention from the door to his Master. "Yes, my Master?" He asked.

Sidious stopped once in front of his apprentice. "I can see you are puzzled in what I might have found out during my observation of the young Dathomirian."

Maul nodded. Of course he wanted to know. The way Arian was so compliant towards him was very alien to his normal Sith ways.

Sidious didn't want to exactly tell him everything he noticed during the observation. But he decided that what he would tell him would possibly give him some idea. He looked Maul in the eyes and held his hands together comfortably in front of him. "She is loyal to you, Maul."

'I know she is loyal. But why? Was it from sheer loneliness on the planet like I had thought?' Maul asked himself.

Sidious continued to explain. "She is not loyal to you because of feeling alone during her survival test. She is loyal to you because she was never treated on Tattooine the way you treat her normally."

Maul felt even more confused. "But Master, wouldn't that mean that she should hate me?"

Sidious shook his head. "Not exactly. Her psychology works in a different way than most Sith. Maul, on Tattooine, no one gave her attention. No one took care of her, no one trained her, no one helped her."

"I don't know what exactly you mean, Master." Maul said. He took hold of his lightsaber with his other hand and held it more comfortably.

Sidious continued to explain. "Think of her like a dog. You treat the dog poorly. You beat it, you abuse it, you harm it in every possible way. But then you feed and nurture it. It comes to see you as the only person who will allow it to survive and live, even though you still damage it. Cruel to it or not, you are all the dog has."

Maul looked at his lightsaber. His mind processed what Sidious was explaining to him. He remembered when Sidious had once tested him and he had thought that he was disowning him for another apprentice. He hadn't known at the time that it was only a test to examine his loyalty. He remembered feeling afraid and alone. More than he had ever felt in his entire life. He felt that Sidious had thrown him away for another apprentice, but once he had defeated the opponent and was victorious, Sidious had explained everything to him. And once everything was explained, he had felt pure relief. His Master, the one who abused him, put him through cruel training, not allowed him to live a normal life ever since he was a child, was still with him.

And that sense of relief was because Sidious was all he knew. He was all he had in the galaxy, abusive or not. He grew up with him and he loved him like a father and like a Master.

Upon remembering the test, he finally figured out what Sidious meant. Arian felt towards him the same way he had always felt towards his own Master. She hadn't grown up with him or even known him for long, but he was more of a companion to her than if she was utterly alone on Tatooine. He knew that she felt afraid now not from training on the planet alone, but she was afraid that she would be alone again if she was not loyal to him.

Sidious could tell by the look in Maul's eyes that he understood what he meant. "You understand her reasoning, now." He stated.

Maul looked at the ground and nodded. "Yes, Master Sidious."

Sidious positioned his hands behind his back. "It is fine that she is loyal to you in such a way, Maul. Even if it is not through hate or force. I know of an alternative way to bring out her darkness."

Maul turned his gaze up at Sidious, waiting for him to explain how he could make Arian hate.

Sidious continued. "Make her hate your enemies. If she is so loyal to you, she will hate the ones who are against you. Make her hate the Jedi. She doesn't necessarily have to hate YOU, the Master, to be Sith. Teach her to hate your foes. She will channel her inner darkness through the hating of your opponents."

Maul comprehended what Sidious said. He looked back up at him fully. "Yes, Master. I understand."

Sidious positioned his hands behind himself and turned his back to Maul. "I still want you to train her everyday, Maul. And since I now know that she will be loyal to you not matter what, you don't have to train her as viciously as you normally do. But training her roughly or not is up to you."

Maul smirked slightly to himself. 'But I do quite enjoy her suffering during her training sessions.' He thought. He enjoyed it because he was a Sith. It wasn't particularly something against Arian, herself.

Sidious began walking towards the door. Maul watched as he walked away. But then Sidious stopped and called out to him. "One more thing, Maul."

Maul stood silent and waited for what Sidious was going to say.

Sidious stood absolutely still. His posture gave off a feeling of wariness. He turned his head slightly, almost looking over his shoulder. "Just a word of caution, apprentice. Dathomirian females are highly attracted to their Zabraki counterparts. Remember that."

Maul raised a tattooed eye ridge. "I don't quite understand, Lord Sidious."

Sidious smirked and turned his head back forward. He continued to walk to the door, ignoring Maul's questioning. "Get rest, Maul. I think I you and Arian both may have an assignment awaiting you tomorrow." He pressed the button on the keypad to once again open the door and stepped out.

Maul nodded and tried to understand what Sidious had meant. He didn't acknowledge what Sidious' warning meant or how it even applied to him or his observation of Arian. But since Sidious did tell him that, he would keep the enigmatic warning in the back of his mind to always look back to if need be.

And upon his Master's orders to rest, he followed him out of the training room and headed to clean himself up and rest.

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><p>Arian, after showering her tired body, laid down atop her soft bed. She was clothed like always in her black and red silk sleeping robes. She laid on her side above the covers.<p>

Her small, pale hand outstretched in front of her face as she relaxed. She could barely see it in the darkness. Her lips were parted from each other and her face looked tranquil. She could hear her own breathing in the silence of the room. She thought about her day and her training with Maul, unable to erase the thoughts of his warm, bare chest touching her back and his strong hands grasping her own. She felt the blood rise to her cheeks as she continued to only think of Maul's unclothed, tattooed torso and face.

She closed her eyes as she also remembered his deep, masculine aroma. The scent wasn't physically near her at the moment, but she inhaled as she imagined the smell which was fresh in her mind.

Her imagination allowed her to almost smell and feel Maul physically close to her. She felt like she could almost touch him again as she flooded her psyche with her memories and thoughts of him that she had gotten throughout the day. She thought about him more and more, unable to get him off her mind. She exhaled intensely as her mind wrapped around thoughts of him more and more and more…

…And then she forced herself to stop.

'Why am I thinking of him like this?' She screamed in her mind as she clutched her fingers in her hand. The rest of her body looked relaxed except for her balled fist. 'He is my Master! ONLY MY MASTER!'

She sighed as she tried to relax her mind. Her eyebrows furrowed as she felt it wrong to feel such things for Maul. 'I can't think of him like this, it's not right!'

She crawled under the covers of her bed and sighed. She opened her eyes one last time, only able to see darkness in front of her and thought about Maul and how he often stares at her. She wondered what he was always thinking every time he looked at her the way he did with his usually expressionless visage.

Then she forced the thoughts into the back of her mind as the tiredness got the better of her. Her breathing slowed even more as she drifted into tender sleep, her last thoughts before slumbering only on her Master, Maul.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! This chapter took a pretty long time to write as I tried to put a lot of detail into each and every movement the characters made in this chapter specifically. So, I do hope that everyone enjoyed reading it! I really am hoping for more reviews again, please. It seems that people aren't really reviewing much anymore… I need those reviews, please. Anyway, I'll start the next chapter as soon as I can!<strong>

**.P.S I finished the music piece I was working on for this fanfic. If anyone would like to hear it, go to my youtube account. The link to the account can be found on my fanfiction profile. When you go to my youtube account, go to the video titled, "A devoted heart, a black affection Track 1 - Thinking of my Master". So far, this is the only music piece I have EVER written. So no flaming if it's not too good, please. Anyway, the track is supposed to represent whenever Arian is alone and thinking of Maul. I hope everyone enjoys it! Please tell me what you reviewers think of it after hearing it!**


	15. Chapter 15: Cold shower

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 15: Cold shower

Maul laid down on his sleeping mat in the floor of his room. He positioned himself to lay on his back and rest his hands on his chest. He let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes and relaxed.

His breathes slowed the more he relaxed. But he found it somewhat hard to sleep as his Master's words echoed in his mind. 'Dathomirian females are highly attracted to their Zabraki counterparts.'

He opened his eyes, only able to see darkness and continued to think of what Sidious had said. He still didn't understand what he had meant.

He closed his eyes once more and relaxed his body and mind. After only a few minutes, he fell asleep.

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><p>Maul walked through darkness. His footsteps made strange noises as he continued on his way. He didn't know where he was, but by the sound of his steps it sounded like he was somewhere with lots of sand and rocks.<p>

After what seemed like hours, but was actually only for a few minutes, he began to see a bright light ahead of him. 'What is this place?' Maul asked himself.

As he got closer to the light, the dark area he was in lit up more and more. Eventually he was able to make out his surroundings . He could see dark brown cave walls around him, and ahead of him he noticed that the light was the opening of the cave. He drew even closer to it and finally stepped out.

Maul stopped and looked around him as he got a strangely familiar feeling from the area. Everywhere was sand and rocks. A bright sun shined above him, causing him to squint. But eventually his eyes adjusted to the light.

'This is the planet that Arian did her survival test on.' He thought. He started to walk again, unsure of where he was headed. 'Why am I here again? Did Master Sidious place me here?' He questioned.

He continued to walk more and more and looked straight ahead. Most of what he saw was just lots of sand and rocks. Exactly the way it was during Arian's survival test. He didn't have a destination in mind, but he felt compelled to move forward.

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><p>After was felt like hours, Maul could see an indistinct blob ahead of him. With each step he took, he felt himself get closer and closer to whatever it was in the distance. And whenever he walked he felt like he was almost walking on air. It was a strange sensation, one that couldn't exactly be explained with words alone. It felt much like a dream.<p>

Maul noticed something strange. He had been out walking in the desert for a while, but he didn't feel hot. Not even one drop of sweat could be seen anywhere on him. He stopped walking as he realized this.

'Something isn't right.' He thought. He looked at his boots. They looked clean, as if he hadn't been in the desert at all. He wasn't sure what was going on. He looked back up and noticed that he had somehow gotten to the thing he had seen ahead of him.

But it made no sense. He had stopped walking, so how could he have gotten to the thing he had seen? He wondered more how he had gotten there.

He now knew that what he had seen ahead of him was the mountainous area with the tress and oasis atop it. Since now, he stood behind the same tree that he had hid behind when he had been watching Arian bathe those few weeks prior.

Maul touched the familiar tree with his gloved hand. He stared at the bark as he continued to wonder how he got there.

But his thoughts were interrupted as he heard movements in the water. Out of instinct and curiosity, he walked from behind the tree and looked to the water to see what made the sounds.

Upon when he saw, he gasped, turned around, and forcefully shut his eyes. What he had seen was Arian halfway out of the water, completely nude. The image of her naked body was only a flash, but that flash was burned into his mind. With his mind's eye he stared at her pearl white flesh. Droplets of water sparkled on her skin as the sun's rays shined down on her.

And her chest was visible to him, too… For her age, she was extremely small not only by height and weight, but in bust area as well. Her breasts looked small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand.

But small or not, Arian's body was quite attractive and beautiful. Maul swallowed hard as he thought this. 'Filth. Disgusting, filthy thoughts…' He forced himself to think.

He knew how both the male and female bodies worked, due to the studies bestowed up him throughout his life. Sidious taught him everything; from math to reading, star systems to physics, hand to hand combat to weapon-based training, biology to the workings of intelligent organism's bodies… But even growing up with these studies, he always shied away when it came to the female form.

Sidious would tell him to look at it from a scientific point of view. In which, he did. He had a strong mind and was capable of controlling hormonal feelings. But controlling the feelings or not, he still experienced them to a full extent. He was a male after all, so getting those feelings was only natural.

He remembered his attraction towards Kilindi. While he was training at Orsis academy, he would sometimes stare at her for long periods of time without her knowledge of it. She was a beautiful, Nautolan woman. To him, the prettiest he had ever seen. Arian's body to him, was no different. She too was beautiful in her own ways.

He stopped his thoughts and growled as he noticed himself admit that he found Arian beautiful. 'She is only my apprentice.' He thought. 'A naïve girl who is learning to be Sith and cannot do anything right.'

Having such attraction to her made him feel disgusted. He was physically attracted to a weakling! At least when he had felt love and attraction towards Kilindi, it was for more than beauty alone. Kilindi was honorable, respectful, and obedient to Trezza and anyone higher than her. Unlike Arian, who is easily angered, disobedient and…

"Master Maul?" Arian called from behind. Her voice sounded very sweet and quiet. Much different than her usual tone.

Maul cleared his throat. He felt himself almost blush as he still had Arian's naked body in his thoughts. "Arian, get dressed." He commanded.

Arian said nothing to Maul's command.

Maul could hear her slowly step out of the water. He thought that she was getting dressed, but instead he got a big surprise.

"Master?" Arian asked again. She was standing directly behind him, still entirely nude.

Maul swallowed hard. He knew she still was not clothed. But it wasn't just her being naked that made him feel uneasy. It was the fact that she was bare and standing right behind him… Close to him… Close enough for him to just turn around and touch her…

'Sickening!' He yelled in his mind. No, her body wasn't sickening to him. His own, dirty thoughts made him disgusted with himself.

"Arian! I command you to clothe yourself, instantly!" He yelled at her. His voice sounded slightly awkward and he shut his eyes from the tense feeling.

"But, Master, aren't I beautiful to you?" Arian asked in a sweet voice. She didn't sound like herself.

Maul's eyes shot open and he gasped at her strange question. He grit his teeth together as he felt even more awkward. Of course she looked pretty to him, even if her personality didn't match one's like Kilindi's. She was a woman, after all.

He wouldn't allow her to know of the disgusting attraction he felt for her. "I said, get dressed." He commanded her once again, but he calmed himself and his voice. He Didn't want to act even more tense that he already was and allow her to know of it. He would make sure he stayed in control of the situation and himself.

Arian refused to listen to his commands. Then, she did something he never expected. She walked from behind him and got in front of him. Before Maul had time to react, she threw herself on him and hugged him tight.

Maul gasped loudly as she did this. He couldn't move a muscle as she hugged him tightly. He had never been touched in such a way by a woman before. Especially one that was naked… And out of everyone, his own apprentice. The one person whom he was supposed to teach to hate and train brutally. She was supposed to hate him and obey him! Not do what she was doing.

He couldn't help it, but his attention began to focus on Arian's still wet, naked body. She was drenched in the water from the oasis, and the water from her skin soaked into Maul's robes… The wetness caused his clothes to cling to him, and through that he could feel Arian's soft, wet, cold skin touch his… The small lumps on her chest pressed against his abdomen, and he could feel his heart begin to race.

Arian turned her head up to look at Maul in the eyes.

Maul breathed out hard. He looked stunned as he slowly turned his head down to look at Arian. He tried to tell her to stop, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He stared into her eyes. For some reason, she looked like she was pleading or begging him, without the use of words. His own eyes were wide from shyness.

"Master…" Arian said tenderly She continued to stare up at Maul and not once took her gaze from his.

Maul could say nothing. He swallowed again and his lips parted from each other. His heart began to beat faster as his eyes moved over Arian's body. From the angle and her size, he could see her bare back and round buttocks. He whined awkwardly as he felt sweat begin to form and then drip down his forehead.

Arian moved to stand on her tiptoes. She brought her face closer to Maul's and closed her eyes.

'She's… She's going to…' Maul's heart beat faster and faster. His breathing became erratic and he perspired even more. He stared at Arian's parted, pursed lips. They looked glossy from the water and very pronounced from her facial position. She looked gentle and beautiful to him…

Arian's lips drew closer and closer to his tattooed ones, then everything immediately stopped…

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><p>Maul gasped loudly and sat up from his sleeping mat. His eyes were wide open as he harshly wheezed in and out. He stared off into space as he thought about what had happened.<p>

His breathing slowed slightly as he calmed himself. He placed his hand against his chest and instantly felt a hot wetness drip from his body. Once he noticed it, he felt that the rest of his skin was wet, too. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

He gnashed his teeth together hard and moved his hand to rest on his wet forehead. He still felt his hear pounding hard and he found it difficult to control it. Many opponents that he had faced in his lifetime hadn't even made his blood pump so fast. But one wet dream of Arian did…

Maul leaned back on his hands. His small cover still covered the lower half of his body. He couldn't see in the darkness of his room, but once he leaned back he felt something to be wrong with his body. Something he couldn't control…

He moved one of his hands under the sheet and slid it to his lower regions. Upon what he felt, it made him want to vomit. He hadn't had such a physical reaction since he was a teen at Orsis academy.

Due to his body reacting in such a way from the dream, he decided he would do what he always did at Orsis whenever it happened to him there. He would make sure that he stayed in control of his bodies' male functions. Not allow his body to control his mind. His mind was strong Sith! Not that of a weak-minded normal male.

Maul stood up from his sleeping mat and paced quickly to the shower room.

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><p>Maul braced himself against the wall of the shower. He leaned his head down and closed his eyes as the freezing water hit his skin. He sighed loudly as he relaxed himself.<p>

'A revolting dream.' He thought as he balled his left hand into a fist. 'Feeling such things for that girl… My own apprentice! It makes me sick.'

He thought more about the dream. He remembered how Arian had looked up at him with a pleading expression. Out of all the things that happened in the dream, that part of it had sexually excited him the most. He couldn't put his finger on exactly why that had effected him even more than just her physical body, but he had an idea of why. 'Is it because she looked so submissive? It turns me on to see her submit to me?' He yelled in his mind.

He banged his fist against the wall. "Filth! It's sickening!" He growled out loud. He found it disgraceful to even think of such things. A Sith, especially him, should never feel such animalistic sensations.

He calmed himself and closed his eyes once more. 'Something as menial as a dream should not affect me so. All I need to remember is that it was only a dream. It was not real. I DO NOT feel those things for her in reality.'

Maul placed his hand on the shower knob and turned off the water. He felt his body to be relaxed from ant sexual tension he had had, which meant that the cold shower worked. It had always been the best cure for him whenever he had felt such physical things.

He stepped out of the shower, dried himself off and put on a long, black, silk robe. Once fully finished with the shower room he walked out, closing the door behind him.

On his way back to his room he passed Arian's bedroom. He stopped and stared at it as curiosity arose in his chest. He only wanted to get back to sleep, but a compelling force seemed to draw him to want to look at Arian.

On compulsive feelings, Maul walked up to her door and pressed the code on the keypad to open it.

He stood in the doorway and stared at her sleeping form. The covers were kicked off her body and dangling from the side of the bed. Her abdomen slowly rose and fell as she breathed in steady rhythms in her sleep.

Maul stared at her slender, white legs. They were visible from her red and black robe being short and tangled in her body from moving in her sleep. He couldn't help himself, but Maul's eyes began to travel up the regions of the bottom of the robe…

…And once he noticed he was starting to look at her in such a manner, he stopped himself and quickly turned around, shutting the door behind him. He headed back to his room as he thought to himself, 'I will never mention or show any reaction to that ridiculous dream. I will stay true to myself and to Arian. She is my apprentice, and I don't want her in any other way. I only want her obedience and submission, and her will to get stronger. I will train her to be a skillful warrior.'

Maul finally got to his room and opened the door. His mind was more relaxed, and he felt himself to sleep soundly for the rest of the night.

Without his knowledge of it, he was lying to himself. He wanted to stay true to himself and Arian, but by hiding how he actually felt he was only putting on a charade.

So how long could his charade last?

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I kind of had writers block at the time that I wrote this, so I wasn't sure what to write. This chapter is kind of like filler to me, as it doesn't progress the story much. I just really wanted to make a chapter that shows Maul's point of view on Arian at this point in the story. And I'm so happy that everyone liked the music track that I made! I'm probably going to make more later on when I get the time. It takes me a LONG time to make just one music track.<strong>

**.P.S I write back to people who review AND have a fan fiction account by sending private messages. I've written a few Pm's to people, but no one seems to be responding. So, if you write a review and you have an account, you can expect to MAYBE see a private message from me in your inbox responding to your review. So, please check your PM box.**

**To chloe - Sidious is never going to command Maul to kill Arian. I can tell you right now that that will never happen.**


	16. Chapter 16: First mission

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian.**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 16: First mission

Arian's door opened. Unbeknownst to Maul, she was already awake. But because of Maul commanding her before to not get up unless he told her to, she stayed quietly in bed and awaited his orders.

"Arian, get up from bed and get dressed. Afterwards follow me to speak to Lord Sidious. He has a mission for us." Maul told her as he stood in her doorway.

Arian slowly sat up and looked at him. "Yes, Master."

Maul started her in the face and Arian did the same. An awkward silence grew between them as they both thought of how they perceived each other. Maul, thinking about the dream he had of her, and Arian, thinking of her reactions to his touch, scent and physical outlook. But neither knew of the others thoughts and feelings.

Arian sat on the side of her bed and looked coyly at her feet. "I'll do as you said, Master."

"Hmm." Maul nodded and stepped away from her doorway, then shut the door in front of him.

In only a minute's time, Arian finished dressing herself. She walked to her door and tapped on it. Maul opened the door at her signal.

Maul looked at Arian as she walked up to him. He waited for her to be at his side, then headed down the hallway once she was next to him.

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><p>Sidious stood beside Scimitar while he awaited Maul and Arian in the hanger bay. A long, black material was folded neatly across his arm, and he held a light saber at his side with his opposite hand.<p>

Maul and Arian entered the hanger. Arian remained silent as she walked beside Maul and looked at Sidious. She noticed him holding the lightsaber and black cloth. She guessed that the lightsaber was for her to use on her mission, but she didn't know what the long, black fabric was for. They both stopped once directly in front of Sidious.

Sidious smiled at Arian. "Your connection with the Force and your fighting capabilities have much improved, Arian. Thus, you are ready for your first mission. How do you feel?"

Arian chuckled somewhat and smiled nervously. 'I feel sore and tired from yesterday's training.' She thought. She looked at the lightsaber in that Sidious held. 'I had been so excited before to use a lightsaber, but that training with it yesterday made me not want to even touch one for a while.'

Maul looked down at Arian as he waited for her to respond to Sidious.

Arian jarred herself from her thoughts and smiled a more cheerful grin. "I feel excited, Master!" She wasn't lying. She did feel excited for the mission, just not handling a lightsaber.

Sidious nodded as he continued to smile. "Take this." He held the long black fabric out to Arian.

Arian reached out and clutched the material in her hands. The texture felt silky and smooth as it cooled her skin. She held it up at it unfolded itself. As the material took shape, Arian saw it to be a robe.

"That is a Sith cloak." Sidious began to explain. "Use it to conceal your identity."

Arian carefully examined the cloak and soon found its opening. She threw it over her shoulders, but it almost fell from her back as she did not know exactly how to wear it. The cloak draped sideways over her left shoulder, but Maul caught it by grabbing it to her shoulder before it had a chance to fall to the floor.

Arian looked up at Maul as he helped her to fasten the attire correctly to her body. He set the cloak straight on her shoulders and reached around the front of Arian's neck. Arian looked down at Maul's hands as he clicked the black button into place with its opposing metal piece. The cloak now set securely around her back and stayed in place near her neckline.

Maul moved his hands from Arian's collar and looked at her. She looked back up at him as he placed his hands on the currently down hood of his own cloak. "Do as I." He instructed as he lifted the hood over his head.

Arian nodded and moved her hands over her head to grab her hood. She pulled it over her head and felt the cool material graze the side of her face.

Sidious looked her up and down and laughed pleasantly. "Like a true Sith in hiding!"

Arian smiled through the hood at Sidious.

"And take this." Sidious held the lightsaber out in front of her and opened his palm.

Arian used the Force on the lightsaber, causing it to float into her hand.

Maul tilted his gaze to look at Arian. "Hide it somewhere inside your robes where no one will see it."

"Umm…" Arian looked around her body. She had no belt or anything to latch the saber to. The only place she could find was on one of the belts on her arm that held up her bell sleeve. She moved the lightsaber behind her back and fastened it to the back of the belt, and the saber rested at a diagonal angle across her back.

Once Sidious saw that Arian was finished fixing herself, he placed his hands behind his back and spoke. "Arian, Maul." He looked at both of them. "I have a mission for both of you."

Arian breathed out calmly as she focused on what Sidious was going to say.

Maul stood stoically, like always. But he always paid attention completely.

Still staring at them, Sidious spoke. "I want you both to go to Galactic City. There, you will meet a blue-skinned Twi'lek by the name of Eath'ahn."

'A Twi'lek.' Arian thought. She remembered seeing female Twi'leks on Tatooine who served Jabba the Hut and a few of the podracers.

"Eath'ahn is a wealthy and famous man." Sidious turned to the side and slowly paced. "Unlike most of the Twi'lek species, Eath'ahn enjoys fighting and brutality. He built an entire organization by the means of gambling through the use of powerful warriors. The warriors he has are strong and have never been beaten, which is why he rakes in so many credits. And his sly tongue has also allowed him to get ahead easier in life." Sidious stopped pacing and stood beside Scimitar. "His speech easily influences others and he has a very cleaver wit. Maul, Arian, do not underestimate him just because he himself is not a fighter."

Arian looked at Sidious, confused. "What do you want us to do to him, Master? And why?"

Sidious smiled, turned his head down and closed his eyes. "Eath'ahn is holding an underground tournament in Galactic City. There will be thousands of people there betting on his men. I want one of you to enter the tournament." He looked at Maul. "That's where you will come in, apprentice."

Maul calmly nodded at Sidious.

Arian turned her head to look at Maul. 'He's going to fight?' She wondered.

Sidious spoke again. "The credits that the people use there are unmarked. Hundreds of thousands of credits are being wagered, including a grand prize money that Eath'ahn himself will give to the victor." He smirked. "Lord Maul, I expect you to win. Those unmarked credits are necessary for future plans of mine."

Arian looked at Sidous again, curiously. 'Future plans?'

Maul sensed Arian's curiosity. He didn't turn or move, but his eyes glanced over her, then back to his Master.

Sidious took a few steps forward towards Maul. "Remember what I said. Eath'ahn's men have never lost a fight. Never loosing has built his ego and confidence. He does not expect to loose. If you are capable of beating his tournament, Lord Maul, which I have trained you well enough to expect you to easily accomplish, then there will probably be consequences. He will send his men after you to try and capture and kill you."

Maul nodded. "It will be done, Lord Sidious. I will not fail you." He balled his hand into a fist, eager to serve Sidious and begin his mission.

Arian looked up at Sidious, who was now closer to her. "But if Master Maul is going to fight, what will I do?"

Sidious smiled at Arian, knowing that she would soon ask him that question. "Don't worry, Arian. I'm not sending you on this mission, meaninglessly. You will be the one placing the bet on Maul to win. You're the one that will receive the credits, since Maul cannot place a bet on himself."

Arian sighed annoyingly. "I thought that I could at least fight or something."

"You're not near strong enough, yet." Maul retorted.

Arian whipped an angry look at Maul. "But Master Sidious said that I've gotten stronger!"

"You have." Maul turned his head sideways at Arian and looked her in the eyes. "But you are not even close enough to even hold your ground against Eath'ahn's men. The would annihilate you."

Arian sighed and looked down. "Yes, Master." She understood what Maul meant, but she still felt like she could be more useful somehow. She remembered the lightsaber Sidious gave her. "Master Sidious, why did you give me the saber if you didn't want me to fight?"

Sidious chuckled at Arian's zeal to battle. "For your protection, my dear. In case anything happens or someone tries to attack you, you will defend yourself using that weapon."

Arian nodded disappointingly. "Alright, Master."

Maul gave Sidious a strange look, as if telling him that he wanted to speak to him alone without Arian overhearing him. Sidious nodded at him.

Maul tapped Arian on the back, getting her attention. Arian quickly looked up at him. "Go into Scimitar and wait for me inside."

Arian blinked and nodded. "Yes, Master." She began to walk forward, heading into the Infiltrator.

Sidious turned and watched Arian. "One more thing, Arian." He called out.

Arian stopped after stepping on the ramp that led into Scimitar, and turned around to look at him. "Yes, Master Sidious?"

Sidious pointed his old, pale hand to Arian's hood. "Keep that on at all times. Do not remove it and make absolute sure that no one sees your face."

Arian grasped the sides of the hood with both of her hands, pulling it tighter over her head. "Is this good, Master?" She asked with only the tip of her nose, and her mouth and chin visible.

"Yes." Sidious replied and turned back to face Maul again.

Arian turned again and walked completely into Scimitar.

Maul looked at Sidious and Sidious looked back at him. "Master." Maul said in a slightly concerned voice. "You do know that by driving Arian around Coruscant, she is bound to see your secret identity as a Senator on one of the electric bill-boards?"

Sidious grinned somewhat evilly at Maul. "I am fully aware of that. But I trust her to not say anything. Besides, she would eventually learn of it, anyway. And who would she tell? She only lives and peaks with us. And she is loyal to you. You only have to tell her to not speak of me in public, and I believe that she will listen."

Maul sighed quietly. "I understand, Lord Sidious." He thought that he never should have doubted his Master's judgment.

Sidious looked above Maul's head, noticing that Arian was staring at them out of the cockpit's window. He nudged his head at Arian, signaling to Maul. "Now, go. She is waiting for you." He told him quietly and turned around.

Maul bowed to Sidious. "Yes, my Master." And with a quick turn, he headed towards Scimitar and stepped up the ramp, soon meeting Arian inside.

"Stand behind the seat." Maul commanded Arian as he pointed towards the back of the black chair.

Arian had been standing in front of it as she had looked out of the window at Sidious. On Maul's orders, she turned around and walked behind the seat, passing Maul as he walked up to it and sat down.

Maul and Arian stayed silent as Maul turned Scimitar on. He pressed a button that activated the cloaking, then started the engine and grasped the steering handles. Scimitar began to ascend and Maul turned the handles, causing Scimitar to turn around and face the opening of the hanger that led out to Coruscant.

Large, circular doors opened. The light from outside was blinding to Arian, but her eyes adjusted quickly.

Maul pressed on the accelerator. Scimitar shot out of the hanger at a high speed. Arian grasped the back of Maul's chair because of the sudden acceleration. Maul, however, was entirely unaffected. He was more than used to operating the Sith Infiltrator.

He made a quick turn and headed in the direction of Galactic City. He soon made the speed and manuvering of Scimitar slow to a steady pace.

Arian let go of the chair as she felt the Infiltrator to be steady. She looked outside of the cockpit, staring in awe at the enormous city around them.

Hundreds, no, thousands of speeders zoomed by them. But of course, Scimitar was unseen by all due to the cloaking. There were also many, many towers and skyscrapers. Too many to count, and each varying in unique sizes and shapes.

Arian smiled at the new sight. She had been living on Coruscant for a while now with Sidious and Maul. But each time she had been taken from the secret base she had never been able to see Coruscant outside. Maul had blindfolded her before when she did her survival test. And when she had first arrived with Sidious from Tatooine, she paid no attention at all to her surroundings, due to her overwhelming feelings at the time to finally leave that sandy planet. She never in-took Coruscant's sights, not one time. This was the first time she truly paid attention. Probably because it was her first mission.

"It's all so different from Tatooine." She said in awe.

Maul stayed expressionless and continued to navigate Scimitar through the speeders and buildings. "Each planet is different and unique in their own ways. But Coruscant is the main base where the Jedi reside and where the Jedi temple is located."

Arian turned her head to look at Maul once she noticed something strange. "Master, in the studies you've taught me so far, none of them mention Coruscant. Why?"

Maul gripped the handle bars tightly from Arian's question. "Arian, you've noticed that Lord Sidious takes leave quite often, correct?"

Arian felt annoyed since Maul "answered" her question with another question. "I noticed that a long time ago, Master."

Maul turned his gaze to look at a large billboard near by. "Look over there." He commanded her.

Arian felt confused. 'Why?' She wondered. But she did as he told her, then felt largely surprised at what she saw.

Sidious' face was displayed across the enormous, electronic billboard. But he looked slightly different from usual. Arian couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that something was different about him. Was it his facial expression? No… it seemed almost the same. Then she observed it closer. He was wearing an outfit that was dark blue in color with embroideries on it. Something she had never seen him wear before. It looked like clothes fit for a political man…

Arian's eyebrows furrowed in curiosity and confusion. "He's in the senate, Master?"

Maul smirked and continued to look ahead of him. "Hmph."

Arian turned around and looked at Maul, her eyes wide and a smile on her face. "He is, isn't he?"

Maul's eyes twitched side to side as he continued to focus on piloting Scimitar. He made a long left turn as he neared Galactic City. "There are many things you do not know about Lord Sidious. He is a secretive man. One of high intelligence and importance."

Arian looked calmly at Maul and remembered that he was Sidious' apprentice. "He taught you everything you know, didn't he?"

Maul paused for a second or two. "He's my Master. Everything I know is derived from his teachings."

Arian's voice became soft and quiet. "How long have you been living and training under him, Master?"

Maul looked somewhat annoyed. "It's not good to ask so many questions."

Arian sighed and turned to continue staring out the cockpit window. "Alright, Master."

They would arrive at Galactic City, soon.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I had writer's block, and didn't know what to write next. I'll try to start on the new chapter as soon as I can.<strong>

**.P.S I would like more reviews this time, please. I'm not getting reviews as much as I used to…**


	17. Chapter 17: Enlisting in the Tournament

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn)**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 17: Enlisting in the Tournament

Maul landed Scimitar on the outskirts of Galactic City, in an area that was mostly abandoned and where no would see him and Arian. He stood from his seat and turned to Arian, who was looking at him and waiting for him.

Maul walked past Arian and quickly headed to exit Scimitar. "Let's go."

Arian followed after him and quickened her pace so she could catch up to him.

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><p>They walked out of Scimitar and looked around them. Everything seemed very loud due to all the speeders that went by and a few crowds of people that were near the surrounding area. But Maul and Arian were in an area that was surrounded by old, vacant buildings, so none of the crowd saw them.<p>

Arian continued to stare up in the sky at the massive world around her. Meanwhile, Maul took Bloodfin from Scimitar's cargo hatch. He stared at Arian as he held the handle bars, noticing how engrossed she was with all the lights, colors and sounds from the giant city. "Arian." He called out, trying to get her attention.

Arian turned at the sound of Maul's voice calling her name. She looked at him, wondering what he wanted to say to her.

Maul twitched his head up and to the side, as if calling her over to him. "Come."

Arian tilted her head sideways in curiosity, then walked up to Maul. She waited for his orders.

Maul began mounting Bloodfin. He pointed behind him before being fully seated. "Get on."

Arian raised an eyebrow. "You want me to sit behind you? Are you sure I'll fit?" She noticed that Maul's speeder was fit for only one person to sit in.

Maul sat comfortably in Bloodfin's seat and grasped the handle bars. "You'll fit. You're small enough. Just come and sit yourself behind me."

"…Alright." Arian strode over to Bloodfin's back side.

Maul nudged himself forward slightly so Arian could sit, then looked behind him to make sure she would correctly position herself.

Arian lifted one leg up and moved herself over the seat. She noticed it felt slightly warm from Maul previously sitting there.

Maul continued to stare back at her and tilted his eyes to look at her hands, noticing they were both in her lap. "Grab my waist with both of your hands."

"Your…" Arian looked down at Maul's sides. She could see his masculine shape, even through the layers of the Sith clothes' fabric. "…Waist?"

"Yes." Maul replied almost stoically.

Arian gulped and slowly set her hands on his sides. Her hands were placed gently against his robed form, but she could still feel the hardness of his muscle-sculpted body.

Maul noticed that her hands were resting too lightly against him. Her grasp wasn't protective enough. "Tighter." He commanded, still looking back at her.

'Tighter.' Arian repeated in her mind. She paused as she felt her heart skip. She leaned herself forward against Maul and wrapped her slender arms tightly around his waist and stomach.

Maul, for the first time, noticed how small Arian physically felt. For a Force sensitive being with such an easily-angered and stubborn personality, she felt incredibly fragile. That fragileness, and the fact that she was his apprentice, brought strange, new feelings to him. It wasn't attraction or sexual arousal like he had in his dream, but a very weird, emotional feeling…

…Something on the lines of protection. Like he got an instinctual feeling of wanting to protect her. And he couldn't figure out why. He looked at her still and saw her head was facing down and leaning softly against his back. She WAS much weaker than him, but that didn't make her a weakling overall. She was a Force-sensitive being, capable of surviving on her own on Tatooine for four years, and pass her Sith survival test. So why would such feelings arise from him? And why now at this moment? He scoffed and turned around, thinking that the feeling was merely instinct-based. He logically knew that she more than likely did not need protecting. And so, he allowed his logic to surpass his emotions, burying them deep inside him. He started the engine on Bloodfin and quickly pressed on the acceleration.

Arian, because of the sudden burst of speed, grasped Maul tightly and buried her face in his shoulder blade while she clenched her teeth. The rush had deeply surprised her.

Maul felt Arian tense up and grasp him too hard. "There's no need to tense. Nothing's going to happen." He assured her.

"I'm not tense." She replied as she slowly lifter her head to peak over his shoulder. "It was just so sudden, that's all." Her tight grip on him loosened slightly once she got used to Maul's driving. 'I should trust his driving skills, anyway. He's probably been doing this for years.'

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><p>Maul drove around Galactic City for minutes as he searched for the location at which Eath'ahn was holding his tournament. He was so focused on his mission that he paid no mind to what Arian was doing.<p>

Arian smiled and stared at all the unique things around her. So many different people and races caught her eye, as did the large amount of stores, buildings and other areas. But what intrigued her the most was the many billboards that had Lord Sidious displayed on them. She remembered her mission and that they needed to win the credits. 'But why?' She wondered.

She lifted her head a little higher to speak in Maul's ear. "Master?"

Maul tilted his head slightly to the side. He could see her through the corners of his eyes. "What is it?" He calmly asked.

Arian's face was so close to his that she could see him looking at her from the side. She stared at him curiously. "If Master Sidious is in the Senate, then why would he need the credits from this tournament? Isn't he rich?"

Maul looked forward again after hearing Arian's question. Before answering, he made a long, sharp, left turn. He felt Arian grip him a little tighter so she wouldn't fall from the turn. Once he gained speed again, he decided to speak to her. "Did you not hear what Master Sidious had said?" He asked almost rhetorically.

"Yeah. He needs the credits for future plans." She answered.

Maul got annoyed. "That's not what I meant. Remember back to what he said the credits were."

Arian's eyes tilted upward as she remembered Sidious' word. "…They're unmarked?"

"Exactly." Maul replied calmly.

Arian looked at Maul's face again. "But what is he going to use the unmarked credits for?"

Maul paused, looking puzzled. Ahead of him he saw groups of people who looked suspicious and were heading into an underground area. "I don't even know." He answered her as he came to a slow stop near the underground area. He parked at a meter and as soon as he stopped, began dismounting Bloodfin.

Arian released Maul's waist and stepped down at the same time as him. She was about to ask him why Sidious hadn't told him what the unmarked credits were going to be used for. But she remembered what Maul had told her only a while earlier. 'It's not good to ask so many questions.'

Maul took some credits from his pocket and paid the meter in advance for the full day.

Arian waited for him as she looked to the side at the people entering the underground steps. A few of them were cloaked, trying to hide their identity. The tournament was illegal, after all. But then again, there were others who found it unnecessary to conceal themselves.

Maul turned to Arian and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Arian turned and looked up at him.

"Remember, keep your face concealed." Maul told her. He noticed her hood wasn't covering her face well because of their drive on Bloodfin. He moved his hand to pull her hood lower over her eyes, and was then able to see only her nose, mouth, and chin. He removed his hand and started walking towards the steps that led underground. "Let's go."

Arian followed behind him.

* * *

><p>They followed a long line of people after entering the underground entrance. The line was slow and Arian began to get irritated and impatient. "What's taking so long?" She whispered to Maul.<p>

Maul leaned down to her level to whisper back to her. "Learn some patience." He looked ahead of him and was able to see a blue Twi'lek near the admission entrance. He looked to be dressed in very expensive, high quality clothing, and he had two body guards standing on both sides of him. One was a Trandoshan, and the other; a Falleen.

"That's him. Eath'ahn." Maul quietly told Arian.

Arian stood on her toes to look over the crowd. "The one in the middle? With the body guards?"

Maul nodded. "Yes."

Arian and Maul got closer to Eath'ahn as the line progressed. Maul noticed that he spoke to each person individually and sent the people in different areas, depending on what each one said. But there were only three places he sent everyone to.

"I see what he's doing." Maul said and tilted his head downward.

Arian listened to him, inquisitively.

"There are three different groups of people coming to this tournament." Maul began to explain. "The fighters, the ones betting the wages, and the spectators. He's diving them up, keeping the separate from each other."

Arian got slightly worried. "Why's he doing that?"

Maul stepped closer to her so no one would overhear them. "Probably a precaution so if the gamblers loose their bets, they won't run off. And if one of his men loose, he can capture the one who defeated them…" A serious look came onto his face, and he looked down at Arian. "We're going to get separated from each other. Listen to me very carefully."

Arian noticed the line getting shorter and it was almost their turn to speak to Eath'ahn. She nodded her head at Maul, complying that she was listening to him.

Maul bent to her level and spoke in a serious whisper. "Do not speak to him unless it is absolutely necessary. Just placed the bet and wait for the tournament to finish. And do not, under any circumstances, loose my sight. If anything were to happen, we would need to leave immedietly. Do you understand?"

Arian looked serious and nodded. "Yes, Master."

It was almost their turn to speak to Eath'ahn. "Get behind me." He told Arian. "I'm going to sign up, first."

Arian nodded and walked behind him.

Only about five other people ahead of them finished speaking with Eath'ahn, and then it was Maul's turn.

Eath'ahn placed his hands behind his back and he smirked in a smug manner. "State your business."

Maul stood still. "Fighter." He said in a monotone, one worded sentence.

Eath'ahn raised on eye ridge and looked over the cloaked warrior. "Fighter?" His voice was stuck-up and taunting. "Aren't you a little… small?"

His words didn't effect Maul. He continued to stay silent. 'Size means nothing.' He thought.

Eath'ahn's smirk turned into an annoyed frown. "The silent type, hmm?" He crossed his arms. "Remove your hood."

Arian observed how Maul acted. She hadn't seen before how he acted around anyone else besides her and Sidious. But seeing how he was on this mission, she could tell how professional he was.

Maul removed his good and his head faced at a slight, downward angle. Eath'ahn was a few inches taller than him, and Maul's yellow and red eyes glared up at him like a dangerous animal.

The sight of Maul caused a few of the people waiting in line behind him to stop their talking and stare at him. Even with all of the different races and aliens, Maul's unique and almost demonic appearance was strange to even some of the strangest creatures there.

Eath'ahn smirked again. "Oh, so you're a Zabrak. That's the reason for your silent attitude and…" He gazed at his tattoos. "…Unique designs." He mocked.

Maul didn't care what he said. He was useless filth, in his eyes.

Eath'ahn waved his hand. "Go to the left."

Maul said nothing more and slowly paced to the left side. He took as much time as he could so he could see if Arian could handle herself alone when speaking to the highly acclaimed Twi'lek.

Arian kept her head down and walked up to Eath'ahn. Her eyes looked over at Maul, and she saw him looking back at her. He made gestures with his hands, holding open five fingers on one hand and two fingers open on the other. She couldn't quite understand what he meant, and then she looked at his face.

Silently, Maul mouthed, "Seven… hundred… thousand…"

Arian knew what he meant, then. Her eyes traveled again to look downward.

Eath'ahn hadn't noticed their silent talking since Arian's face was covered by her hood. "State your business." He told her.

Seriously, Arian spoke. "I want to place a bet."

"A bet?" Eath'ahn asked. "Aren't you a little too young to be gambling?" He laughed.

"I'm twenty." She told him with no hint of hilarity in her voice.

Eath'ahn chuckled. "Alight, young miss. Go over to-"

"I want to place my bet on…" Arian interrupted him.

Maul grit his teeth. She had already messed up…

Eath'ahn interrupted her back. "You must be new to gambling… Actually, you don't look very familiar. I've never seen you around Galactic City before, let alone Coruscant…" He leaned forward at her as he tried to intimidate her. "Who are you?"

Arian felt no fear against the rich Twi'lek. She didn't move or flinch, and only stood still and said nothing.

Maul gripped his hand into a fist. 'She's already ruined it…'

Eath'ahn stood back up straight and smiled. "For a young girl, you've got some nerve… I respect that. But learn the rules to this great game, first. You can't wage a bet on someone until you get the list of the contestants." He tilted his head to the right. "Now, go in that direction."

Maul felt relieved. 'Too close…' He thought.

Arian nodded and headed to the right.

The Trandoshan guard that stood on Eath'ahn's left noticed the reed and black tattooed Zabrak was still standing there, looking at the female gambler. "Hey! Zabrak!"

Maul shot a cold stare at the Trandoshan.

"Quit stalling and get moving!" The Trandoshan hissed.

Maul obeyed. He didn't want to make a scene and get unnecessary attention. He turned after glancing at Arian once more and left to the area of the other fighters.

* * *

><p>Arian walked into the area where a large group of other gamblers were standing and socializing. A few of them stared at her as that noticed that she hadn't removed her hood and she went to a corner to stand alone. They spoke to each other, a little curious who she was. Most of the gamblers there had known each other for a long time, but they had never seen this small, hooded girl.<p>

Arian stood still and silent, keeping her head down. She saw a few other gamblers walk in and overheard them speaking to each other. "Did you see that Zabrak?" A female Pa'lowick asked a tall, Chagrian male.

"The one with the red and black tattoos? Yeah. Pretty strange looking…" The Chagrian replied.

"What if he's strong? Zabraks are known to have great endurance against pain!" The Pa'lowick proclaimed.

The Chagrian put his hand out in an explanatory manner. "Yeah, but he looks too short to do any real physical damage against anyone. All my bets are off him!"

The Pal'owick nodded, concurring with him.

Arian smiled to herself. "Master Maul is going to beat everyone in this tournament!'

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><p>Like Arian, Maul stood alone and didn't speak to anyone. He saw the other contestants boasting with each other about their fighting capabilities and flexing their large muscles. 'Revolting.' He thought.<p>

"I'm gonna put the beat down on everyone in this tournament!" A Togorian yelled.

A Nautolan flexed. "Look at these muscles!"

Since Maul was the only fighter not speaking, bragging, or interacting, a few of the other fighters got annoyed.

"Hey! This one ain't speaking!" The Togorian yelled. He walked up to the silent fighter. "You think you're better than me, pal?!"

Maul's firey eyes moved to stare up at the larger man. He said nothing.

"A wise guy, huh?" The Togorian scoffed.

The other fighters watched and laughed.

The Togorian punched his fist into the palm of his hand. "No one ignores me! Especially not some puny Zabrak!" He threatened.

Maul felt no fear. He only felt the stupidity and foolishness emanate from the Togorian. He bared his teeth at him and growled a low snarl. Using the Force, he sent a dark Force pulse to the Togorian, warning him to stay away.

The Togorian felt the dark surge, but couldn't tell it was the Force. He stopped his antics as the surge of energy sent shivers throughout his body. He turned, giving the Zabrak an angry glare, and left him be.

Maul stayed relaxed and began thinking of Arian. 'She better execute this mission correctly.'

Both Maul and Arian waited for the Tournament to begin…

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! Once again, I'm sorry it too me a long time to update. I seriously have almost no time to write due to work… But I'm still working on this fanfic, and I'll start the new chapter, soon!<strong>

**.P.S If anyone would like to see, I drew two new pictures of Maul and Arian. I have them on my deviantart page, and they are titled, "Looking outward" and the other one is titled, "Only a future with you, Master". Also, MORE REVIEWS PLEASE! I LOVE REVIEWS! :D  
><strong>

**.P.S.S …Would anyone like for me to make a comic (visual art) version of this fanfic? If so, please tell me in a review!**


	18. Chapter 18: First fight

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith…) **

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 18: First fight

Two more hours passed and the tournament's seats became entirely filled. All the fighters and gamblers were also placed on the opposite sides of the arena. In the middle was a large platform, which was where the battles would take place.

Across the arena, Maul stood and waited. Everyone, including him, had finished signing their names to enlist in the battles. Except he went under the alias, "LM", which was short for "Lord Maul". He would never risk his cover by entering his real name.

He could see Arian across the other side of the arena. He stared at her, hoping to the Force that she wouldn't screw something up… And that she'd be safe. 'Again that feeling?' He thought.

Arian looked back at him through her black hood. As she examined his face, she noticed he displayed a strange, unfamiliar expression. 'Why does he look so uneasy?'

Maul turned away from her as he noticed Eath'ahn walking up to her from behind.

Eath'ahn had just finished taking the bets from the other gamblers. But he noticed that the hooded girl had not placed her bet. 'Funny.' He thought. 'She was so eager to wage her bet before, yet she did not come and place it once it was time to do so.'

Arian was puzzled. 'Why did he turn away like that?' She was jarred from her thoughts as she heard a sophisticated voice speak to her from behind.

"Young girl." Eath'ahn called to her with his hands behind his back. He had noticed how she and the fighter, LM had been staring at each other.

Arian turned around and looked down. "Yes?" She asked quietly.

Eath'ahn put his hands to his sides. In his right hand, he held an electronic pad. "Are you not going to be placing your bet, little one?"

Arian nodded. "Yes…" She paused, wondering what Eath'ahn was thinking and hoping he hadn't noticed her looking at Maul. "…I want to place my bet."

Eath'ahn brought the electronic pad out in front of her. "How much?"

Arian remembered how much Maul had told her to place on the bet. "Seven-hundred-thousands credits."

Eath'ahn smirked. "Such a large amount for such a young girl… Tell me, where did you acquire so many credits?" He leaned in, his face coming incredibly close to hers.

Arian made a small grunt and leaned back slightly. Through her hood she could see Eath'ahn's facial features. She hadn't really noticed it before, but something about him seemed very… charming.

Maul sensed a ripple in the Force, and that feeling led him to Arian. 'What?' He angrily thought. 'What is she doing this time?' He turned to a small angle to peak over at Arian and Eath'ahn without being noticed.

Arian swallowed and beneath her hood, her eyebrows furrowed into a confused, yet alert look. "Nhh…" She grit her teeth at him and said nothing.

Eath'ahn smirked more. "You seem to have a strong desire on not allowing me to know more about you, young one." He moved his hand up to grasp her chin.

Maul breathed out loudly and growled when he saw Eath'ahn touch her. Again, that protective feeling rose inside of him.

Arian felt her heart skip a beat when he touched her. She wasn't used to being touched by males in such a way… And she felt herself to almost relax at his touch. But once she noticed herself feeling that, she snapped herself out of it and slapped his hand away.

The slap caused Eath'ahn to feel incredibly surprised. He was a high regarded, rich man. No one would ever treat a person like him with such disrespect!… Which is why he ended up enjoying it. It was something… new and fun. He smiled deviously at her. "You've got some spunk, girl!"

Arian growled angrily. "I just want to place my bet."

Eath'ahn continued to smile, then handed her the pad.

Arian took it and looked at the contestants. Once she saw Maul's face, she touched the screen, choosing him.

Eath'ahn noticed immedietly that she chose the mysterious Zabraki fighter. It made him even more curious. 'A girl that I've never seen before chose a fighter I've also never seen. Interesting…'

Arian held the pad out towards Eath'ahn once she finished selecting Maul. He took it from her, then she turned her back to him.

Eath'ahn continued to look at her. "Oh, so you bet on that strange Zabrak fellow?" He wasn't completely surprised. He had almost expected her to choose him when he noticed the two looking at each other.

Arian balled her hand into a fist as she began to feel tense. "What of it?"

Maul didn't take his eyes off of them for even a second. He felt strange as he watched how… close Eath'ahn acted towards his apprentice.

Eath'ahn leaned down to Arian's level, then tilted his eyes to look at LM, then back at her. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Nhh?!" Arian grunted and stiffened at his question.

Maul couldn't hear what they were saying because of the distance and the crowds of people in the stands. But he didn't like that Eath'an seemed to be making Arian feel so uncomfortable.

Eath'ahn chuckled at the mysterious girl's reaction. "Oh, so he is, hmm?"

Arian bit down on her bottom lip. "No!" She loudly said, but didn't yell.

Eath'ahn moved his hand to rest on the girl's shoulder and brought his mouth close to her ear.

Maul's eyes widened and he felt that protective feeling suddenly grow stronger.

Arian couldn't move. She wanted to, but she couldn't control the new feelings she was beginning to get. This touch by this male made her feel so…

"Then what is he to you, little girl?" Eath'ahn seductively asked.

Arian swallowed and she began to sweat. "A friend…" Was all she could muster to say.

Eath'ahn smiled. "Just a friend? Then…" He looked up to see LM staring at him.

Maul, even though he knew that Eath'ahn was looking right at him, didn't take his angry gaze from him.

Eath'ahn slowly moved his hand to the bottom part of the girl's hood. "…He wouldn't mind me seeing your face. I bet you look beautiful under that hood…"

Arian squinted her eyes as she forced herself to remember that no matter what, she couldn't let anyone see her face. Then, she quickly stepped forward and tilted her head downwards so Eath'ahn would be unable to see her face. She could still feel her heart beating fast, though…

Eath'ahn stood up straight and continued to smile smugly. He snickered once, looked at the hooded girl, then at LM. Afterwards, he turned around and began walking away. A few feet away his two bodyguards had just walked into the area to inform Eath'ahn that the Tournament was now ready to begin.

Arian sighed loudly as she calmed her fast beating heart. She looked down with her eyes half-lidded, and she felt heat on her face. She was too occupied to notice Maul looking at her.

Maul stared at her with a strange look on his face. That feeling he had gotten was still burning inside him, and his mind kept replaying every touch that Eath'ahn had just made on Arian. 'I don't want anyone touching her.' He thought. He looked closer at Arian's face and noticed that her expression looked as though she were intoxicated, and her cheeks were flushed. 'Did a male's physical touch really affect her so much?' Different thoughts raced through his mind. He saw Arian look up at him with that still intoxicated expression, then he turned his stare from her as a means to avoid her gaze. 'A male's touch…' He repeated in his mind and closed his eyes…

…He remembered back to that dream he recently had of Arian. Gritting his teeth, he tried to focus his mind on something else. But again, he thought of Eath'ahn touching her… A strong feeling of jealously swelled inside him. His mind began to center on two separate thoughts almost at once. 'For Arian to be affected by something as simple as a touch like that can make her vulnerable in the future. Once back on Coruscant, I will teach her to not be so easily seduced…' He thought. But in the back of his mind, he thought something else, too. '…If anyone is to touch her like that again, I will rip out their filthy throats…'

"Attention! Attention!" A loud voice echoed throughout the stadium.

Maul and Arian looked up simultaneously at the sound of the loud voice.

The crowds of spectators that filled the seats to watch the tournament unfold got slightly more silent than they had been.

Once everyone was silent, the voice spoke again. "Did everyone come here to see a brawl?!" The announcer's voice echoed loudly over the intercoms.

The crowds of aliens cheered loudly at the announcer's question.

Maul sighed, disgusted by the people's animalistic craving to see other beings fight one another for credits and acclaim.

Arian, once calming herself, looked at Maul. She wondered when he would fight.

Eath'ahn sat in a large seat that was made specifically for him. He leaned on his arm and watched the crowds cheer. His bodyguards stood next to him beside both sides of the chair.

The announcer spoke again. "The order of the contestants will be shuffled, making the first fights random."

A large, rectangular, bright image projected above the fighting arena. The crowds in the stands stared at it, alone with the fighters and gamblers. Every person competing in the tournament could be seen on the hologram.

Arian looked up at the hologram, and Maul did the same. They could both see all the pictures of the fighters begin to flash as the order of the contestants shuffled.

Silently, everyone waited as they anxiously watched the hologram. Eath'ahn continued to lean on his arm and stare up as well.

…Seconds passed, then the shuffling on the image suddenly stopped and a single "dinging" sound was made.

"The order of the contestants is here!" The announcer yelled.

Arian's eyes widened as she stared at the screen. 'Maul's the first one…' She thought.

Maul had no reaction. He didn't care that he was first. He knew he'd be the victor in the end. And the one he was matched against first was the Togorian who had tried to pick a fight with him earlier.

Eath'ahn smirked. "What a surprise." He quietly and sarcastically said to himself.

The Togorian smiled through his teeth. He was happy that him and the Zabrak were paired to face off, first. 'This guy's been pissin' me off since I saw his ugly mug!' He thought as he looked over at the tattooed Zabrak. "Hey! Zabrak freak!" He yelled out to him.

Maul looked over his shoulder, annoyed.

"Looks like I fight you, first!" The Togorian exclaimed.

Maul paid no mind to him and faced forward again to look at the arena.

"Hilith versus…" The announcer paused and snickered at the sight of the Zabrak's alias name. "…LM!" He continued.

"LM?" A person in the crowd asked. "What kind of name is that?"

Maul could care less what everyone thought of him.

The announcer spoke again. "Would LM and Hilith step into the ring, please."

Arian watched as Maul paced into the arena. Even when she saw his opponent, Shilith, she was confident in Maul's abilities. 'There's no way he'll loose to someone as piggish as that Togorian.' She thought as she looked at how Hilith acted like such an attention seeker and gloated as he stepped into the ring.

Maul and Hilith stood in the middle of the arena and faced each other.

Hilith smirked at LM. "I can't wait to wipe that stupid stoic look off your face." He quietly said.

Maul stayed unmoving and silent. 'Not likely.' He thought.

"The rules are as follows." The announcer begun to explain. "Weapons of any sort are not allowed."

Arian's expression shifted to a slightly more worried look when she heard that rule. 'That means he won't be able to use his lightsaber…'

"Force abilities are allowed." The announcer continued. "Killing the opponent is allowed. Of course, if you get killed then you loose."

The spectators in the seats cheered loudly. They wanted to see as much brutality as possible.

"If you get out of bounds of the ring, you loose. And if you get knocked out for more than ten seconds, you loose." The announcer cleared his throat. "Now, is everyone ready?"

The crowds cheered loudly.

"Fighters, get read!" The announcer told them.

Maul slid the black cloak from his arms. It fell gently to the floor behind his feet and he posed in a fighting position. Stretching his left arm in front of him and his right leg behind him, he stood in position and watched Hilith get in fighting stance as well.

Hilith stood with his arms open and his legs spread. He looked like he was about to grapple or tackle someone. With a smirk, he chuckled and looked into LM's eyes, trying to intimidate him.

Eath'ahn smiled behind the hooded girl's back. "Let's see how your boyfriend fares in the first round."

Arian's attention became entirely averted from the fight that was about to take place. She turned around quickly, and through her hood, gave the Twi'lek a cold stare.

Eath'ahn only stared at her and smirked.

"Begin!" The announcer suddenly yelled.

Arian gasped and jerked her head back again to watch her Master fight the Togorian.

Hilith laughed loudly as he ran head first as fast as he could towards LM.

But no matter how much speed he put into his movements, Maul, with his expert years of training under his Master since the age of a young child, could see every move he was about to make. 'Much too slow.' He thought as Hilith's movements seemed to him the pace of a snail.

Hilith threw his fist toward LM's face. 'This'll get em'!' He thought. LM hadn't even moved yet while he threw his punch…

Less than a second before the large Togorian's fist could come into contact with Maul's body, Maul swiftly dodged him by stepping and leaning to the left side. His dodge was so fast that Hilith didn't even realize he hadn't punched him.

Maul said nothing as he found Hilith so weak he didn't want to waste his breath on him. While Hilith was still in his punching position, Maul took it as an opportunity to strike him down. And so, with his right leg, he kneed Hilith hard in the jaw. Then he elbowed him in the back of the neck, hearing a snap on impact.

Hilith immedietly fell to the floor, unmoving…

The cheering in the audience grew silent, and everyone stared…

Maul turned his back to Hilith…

Arian smiled. 'My Master won so fast!' She joyfully yelled in her mind.

Hilith didn't move even an inch. A green Twi'lek girl came into the ring to check Hilith's pulse. She was one of the people who helped run the tournament. She bent over close to him and held her fingers against the side of his neck. "He doesn't have a pulse." She loudly said so the announcer could hear her.

"Well, that means…" The announcer was surprised. "LM is the winner of the first round!"

The crowds cheered loudly. A few that had been against LM before now rooted for him, as they saw how strong and fast he was despite his size and strange name.

Maul, of course, didn't care in the least bit.

Some of the gamblers got mad, while some others got nervous. But only the ones that had placed their bets on Hilith got that way.

The Falleen that was Eath'ahn's bodyguard walked up to the few people that had just lost their bets. "I do hope for your sakes that you can all pay up." He said sarcastically and at the same time seriously.

Even though Maul had won, Eath'ahn was unfazed and not surprised. He continued to look at the hooded girl. She held her hands across her chest as she stared at LM. By the looks of her reactions, she was overly happy that LM had won. "Your Zabraki friend is strong, girl. He'll probably do well in this tournament!" he yelled loudly she she'd hear him, and so LM would hear him as well.

Arian turned to look at Eath'ahn. Maul, overhearing him turned his head to the side to look at him, too.

Eath'ahn still leaned himself comfortably on his arm and looked at LM, then at the mysterious girl.

Arian felt nervous. 'Why would he be happy about him winning? That doesn't make sense…'

Maul was also confused by Eath'ahn's words…

Eath'ahn sat up straight and continued to stare at the girl. "Why don't you come closer to me where it's more comfortable?"

Arian glared. "No thanks."

Eath'ahn closed his eyes and smiled. "I thought that'd be your response." He snapped his fingers. "Trenon." he called to the Faleen. "Bezon." Then to the Trandoshan.

Trenon and Bezon took their attention from the gamblers and looked at Eath'ahn. "Yes, Master?" the both asked simultaneously.

"Make this spirited young girl more comfortable. Bring her to sit beside me." Eath'ahn commanded.

"What?!" Arian yelled.

Trenon and Bezon walked up to her and took her by both shoulders.

"Let go of me!" Arian yelled angrily.

Maul snarled when he saw them taking her, but knew that the logical thing to do was to just obey for the moment.

Arian started to struggle. "Don't touch me!"

"You'll do as the Master says for you to do!" Bezon hissed.

Arian stopped struggling when she saw how Maul looked at her. Through slow movements and stares, she could tell that he was saying to her, 'Do as they say.'. She nodded at him and walked with Bezon and Trenon over to Eath'ahn.

Once over to him, she gave Eath'ahn an annoyed look, and stood very close to where he sat.

"You see? Much better." He told the girl as he brought his hand to graze the bottom of her chin.

Arian stayed still from his touch and chose to not respond.

Maul stared at Eath'ahn and Arian; frustrated, worried, and angry. 'What is he planning…?' He wondered. He despised the way he was acting towards Arian.

"The second round will begin, shortly!" The announcer yelled.

Despite his feelings, the only thing Maul could continue to do for now was fight… He would deal with Eath'ahn personally once his mission was complete…

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I want more reviews this time, please… If that's okay… Anyway, this took me a while to update due to being busy with work and other things… Anyway, I'll start on the new chapter as soon as I can!<strong>

**.P.S I made a new picture of Maul and Arian called, "Confession". If you want to see it, go to my deviantart page.**

**.P.S.S Who else can't wait until Season 5 of Clone Wars?! I'm so excited! X3**


	19. Chapter 19: Proposition

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith…) **

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 19: Proposition

Many hours passed since the first round of the tournament. Maul had easily been able to and win against every other competitor so far that he faced. There were even some other Force sensitive beings like himself that had fought. But even with the Force on their side they still had stood no chance against someone as strong as him who had been molded by Lord Sidious. He hadn't even broken a sweat, yet.

The tournament was nearing the finals. Eath'ahn was more than used to seeing people fight. But so far, this specific tournament was more interesting than the rest. But it wasn't the fighting that had caught his attention, it was the hooded girl. The one that he had made stand next to him. Besides from watching the fights unfold, he kept looking back and forth at the girl, studying her. He did find her quite attractive due to her feisty demeanor and what he COULD see of her face looked appealing. But it wasn't just that… Something about her looked quite familiar… 'Is it her pale skin?' He thought. 'Maybe her race is…' Eath'ahn decided that he wanted to take a break from the tournament for a while.

Arian still stood next to Eath'ahn and was slightly frustrated most of the time since she was forced into sitting next to the Twi'lek. She never did like being told what to do, but Maul was an exception…

"Do you want to take a break, my dear?" Eath'ahn suddenly asked her.

Arian looked at him, still annoyed. She didn't answer him.

Eath'ahn smirked. Judging by her reactions, he took her angry look as a "yes". "After I make my announcement, you may go and see to your boyfriend."

Arian looked at him confused… But since he said she could, she would take the chance without hesitation.

He laughed under his breath, and stood up from his seat. "Attention everyone!" He spoke loudly.

The crowds were still hyped and talking over him.

Trenon and Bezon came up to him and bowed respectfully. "Allow us to handle it, Master." The Falleen told him.

Eath'ahn nodded at him politely.

The Trandoshan and Falleen walked into the middle of the arena's ring and looked at Maul, who was still standing there. "Move over, Zabrak." Bezon commanded him.

Maul did as they said so no problems would occur, and moved to stand at the end of the arena.

"LORD EATH'AHN WILL NOW SPEAK!" The two henchmen yelled at the tops of their lungs.

Everyone in the crowd grew quieter, and eventually silent once they saw that the two weren't going to move from the ring or fight.

Eath'ahn placed his hands behind his back and looked out over the crowds. "There will be a thirty minute interlude, now. We shall give this…" He pointed his palm outward at LM. "…Extraordinary fighter a chance to rest. And if there is business that any of you must attend to, you shall be able to do so without missing even a single fight." He moved his hand to call his henchmen over to him. "The intermission starts now." He finished.

The crowds spoke a little quieter now. Some got up from their seats to do whatever they had to do, and some stayed and talked to each other about the fights so far. "I've never one person go this far in the tournament!" A human spectator spoke to his friend. "Who trained this guy?" A Chagcreek asked.

Arian moved from where she stood and headed over to Maul, who was still standing and relaxed at the end of the ring.

Maul stared at her the whole time she was heading over to him, slightly relieved that she was no longer around Eath'ahn.

"Master." Arian whispered quietly once she got to him.

Eath'ahn turned his attention from the crowds of people and looked at the hooded girl and how she was speaking to LM. He couldn't hear her from the distance, but he noticed by the way she moved that she seemed very fond of him and loyal. He decided he would give them a few minutes alone together before he would make the move to speak to both of them.

Maul looked down at Arian. "Why did he make you stand next to him?" He asked her and decided not to even mention how Eath'ahn had been touching her. He would speak to her about that specifically once they were back on Coruscant…

Arian looked down, wondering herself why he had made her go next to him. "I don't know, Master. For some reason…" She thought back to Eath'ahn touching her the way he did… "…He has a weird interest in me. I don't know what he's planning."

Maul sighed and closed his eyes. "Just make sure you do what I told you. Don't speak to him without necessity. And because of his guards…" He thought to when the Falleen and Trandoshan had forcefully dragged her to stand next to Eath'ahn. "…Do what he says if he tells you. But no matter what he says, I still want you to stay within my sight."

Arian nodded at him, assuringly. "Yes, Master."

Eath'ahn felt he had given the two enough time to talk. And so, he began making his way up to them. "You there. Zabrak." He called out.

Maul had still been looking at Arian when he heard Eath'ahn speak. But once he heard him, his gaze met with his. Arian turned around once she heard him, too.

Eath'ahn came close to the two and stopped once in front of them. "You're doing quite well in the battles so far."

Maul stared at him, trying to figure out what he wanted. "Yes." He answered him with one word.

Eath'ahn smirked at the Zabrak's one-worded remark. "I come here to speak to you personally and you can only say a single word to me? You're not only the silent type, but so rude as well." He paused and continued to smile slyly. "But I'm not here to judge, Mr… LM." He looked at his fingernails in an arrogant way. "I have a proposition for you."

Maul could tell he was up to something. Of course, no matter what he said to him, he wouldn't oblige to it. "Not interested." He told him.

Eath'ahn chuckled. "You haven't even heard me out yet." He looked at the hooded girl, who stared back up at him with a glare.

Maul stayed silent. He decided he would give him a chance to speak just to humor him.

Eath'ahn looked back up at LM. "You have defeated every opponent so far in my tournament. You seem like a strong and capable warrior. With a few minor negative qualities." He meant about his silent attitude. "How would you like to be one of my men?"

Maul raised an eye ridge and the Twi'lek's question. Curious to see what he had to say, he made the choice to allow Eath'ahn to continue. "What's in it for me?"

Arian looked up at him, curious. 'What's he doing?'

Eath'ahn smiled. "What's in it for you?" He crossed his arms. "You must have somehow not of heard of me. I am a very wealthy person, you know. What's in it for you, would be to serve at the side of one of the most rich and famous people you'll probably ever come in contact with. You could have everything you want. Money, fame…" He paused and looked down at the hooded girl. "…Even women."

Arian grit her teeth angrily when he said that.

"And all you have to do is join me. Be one of my fighters and compete in the tournaments whenever I tell you." He continued. "What do you say?"

Maul looked at him for only a few seconds longer. He closed his eyes, smirked, and scoffed. "Not interested." He repeated and turned around, crossing his arms.

Eath'ahn gasped at LM's decline. He had never met anyone before who would refuse and offer like that. LM's response was entirely unexpected…

Arian smiled at her Master's answer. She hadn't thought for even a second that he would betray Lord Sidious and join someone as arrogant as Eath'ahn.

But Eath'ahn, being the type of man that he was, calmed himself and continued again to smirk. "Then it will be your funeral, I suppose. You may have gotten past all of the contestants so far, but there is no way that you'll win against your final opponent. He is one of my men. And he hasn't even lost a battle. Someone such as yourself will stand no chance against him."

Maul still smirked to himself and didn't turn around to face Eath'ahn. "I do hope that you'll have the credits ready for my friend here once I defeat your so called, "Unbeatable man."

Arian felt very proud. She had never seen Maul speak in such a way, before. It wasn't a side of him that she was used to seeing. 'Well, he is a professional fighter… Being trained under master Sidious and all. He probably holds his fighting capabilities in a high regard.'

Eath'ahn still felt that the Zabrak would stand no chance against his fighter. And so, he turned around, about to walk off. "I want you to still come and stay next to me, girl. The interlude is about to pass."

Arian looked up. She didn't want to go next to him again…

Eath'ahn spoke again. "I suggest you do as I say. If not…" He turned his head back to look at LM. "…Then I will make your friend forfeit. I DO have the power to do that, you know."

Maul's smirk turned into an angry frown when he said that. His stayed in his position and spoke to Arian in a very low whisper. "Do as he says."

Arian nodded at him and did what her Master said. She walked up to Eath'ahn and glowered at him.

Eath'ahn only smiled at her and continued walking once he saw that she was fully next to him. The interlude was almost over, and Eath'ahn had no doubt in his mind in his fighter's ability to win.

…But just in case his fighter were to begin to get beaten down by LM, he had a trump card up his sleeve. And the mysterious hooded girl whom seemed somewhat familiar to him was his key…

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! Yay! I did a quick update this time! :D I hope everyone liked this chapter! I decided to not write the fanfic down on paper anymore, since it takes way too long. I'm just going to type it up on computer from now on. My chapter updates will be quicker that way.<strong>

**.P.S If anyone like yaoi, I painted a yaoi picture of Maul and Savage about to kiss. You can find it on my deviantart page. It's titled, "Almost a kiss." I think any yaoi fan girls will highly enjoy it. :3**

**.P.S.S ONLY 4 MORE DAYS UNTIL CLONE WARS SEASON 5! WOOT!**


	20. Chapter 20: Captured

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran…) **

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 20: Captured

The interlude was finally over and the spectators all headed back to their seats. Once everyone was seated and ready to watch the next round of fights, the announcer spoke. "I hope that everyone finished with what they needed, because you won't want to leave your seats and miss the next rounds!"

Arian hadn't really kept up with how many people Maul had fought so far, since he beat them all so quickly. But she was curious how many were left until he had to face Eath'ahn's final fighter. Part of her felt like she didn't need to worry about Maul because from what she saw, he was an extraordinarily strong fighter. But another part of her felt a little scared because she didn't know how strong the final fighter would be. 'How will Master fair against the last one?' She thought as she looked over at Eath'ahn, then back at Maul, who was standing in the middle of the ring.

Maul stood still and silently with his eyes closed, just patiently waiting for the next round.

The announcer spoke again. "There are only two rounds left! The semi-final, and then the final! Is everyone ready?"

The crowds cheered. All were curious if the tattooed Zabrak would be able to win in the end.

Arian continued to stare at Maul. 'That answers my question… Well only two left. Then we can go back to the base.'

Eath'ahn looked at Arian as he leaned on his right hand. "I expect him to win the semi-final. But not the final, I'm afraid."

Arian gave Eath'ahn another cold stare through her hood. She wanted to talk back to him, but decided not to since Maul told her to not speak to him unless necessary.

"Will the next fighter step into the ring?" the announcer said.

A Weequay stepped up into the ring and crossed his arms…

Maul opened his eyes and looked at him.

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><p>In only a matter of seconds, Maul had finished off the Weequay fighter with ease. The Twi'lek girl that helped with the tournament announced that LM had defeated the semi-finalist. Maul stood and turned to face in Eath'ahn's and Arian's direction. He stared coldly at the wealthy Twi'lek.<p>

Eath'ahn smiled back at LM. He felt no worry at all, and very confident that his "unbeatable man" would win against LM.

Arian looked at Eath'ahn again. 'He's still smiling…' She thought. That's when she started to worry. 'Is he being overconfident, or is the final fighter really that strong?'

"He's done it! He's made it to the final round!" The announcer yelled excitedly. "But how will he do in the final battle?!"

Eath'ahn stood from his chair. "Attention!" He yelled this time instead of making his henchmen do it for him.

Even over the cheering crowds, the announcer heard Eath'ahn. But it's also because he expected him to speak since it was his fighter that would clash against LM in the final round…

Eath'ahn smirked. "I wasn't talking about the audience…" He paused, then pointed out at LM. "I was speaking to you, Zabrak."

Maul stared at him with a blank face.

Eath'ahn smiled smugly and placed his arms behind his back. "You've been great entertainment. For both the audience, and I. But this game is about to come to an end." He turned his back to LM and headed to his seat to sit back down. "Come out, Teran. It's your turn."

Maul felt a sudden vibration in the Force. He hadn't gotten that dark feeling from anyone he had fought thus far in the tournament. It was rare for him to feel such a thing, except from very strong Force-sensitive's like himself. He allowed the Force to guide him in the direction of the surge, which made him turn to a far off blocked area underneath the lower quarters of some of the audience's seats. Perhaps it was an enclosed room the warrior had been waiting in… He stared at the area, then suddenly saw a silhouetted figure rise up.

The silhouette became more clear as it walked from where it had been waiting and towards the arena. Maul stared at it intently as it made it's way out of the enclosed corner.

A bald man with Chalk-white skin, exactly like Arian's, came into view. He was tall and slender, but impressioned muscle was clearly visible beneath his skin-tight, black attire, which covered his body in one full suit from neck, all the way down to his feet. White trim ran down the lengths of the long, close-fitting sleeves, and metal belt cuffs were wrapped around his slim wrists. A small, singular belt enclosed around his waist, which held in place expensive looking silver armor on both sides of his hips. On his feet were black boots that reached up to the calfs of his legs, and looked somewhat similar to the same boots that Maul wore.

Arian stared at the final fighter, just as fixedly as her Master was. 'Why didn't Master Maul or I sense him before? Was he cloaking himself using the Force?' She stood still. 'The energy he gives off feels almost equal to Maul's…'

The alien stared at Maul with icy-blue eyes. The look he gave him was just as cold as the Sith warrior himself. Maul stared at the man's face and could immedietly distinguish what his race was due to his skin color, hairless head, and nonexistent eyebrows and eyelashes.

The pale man soon made his way up to the arena and stepped in, then stopped a few feet in front of the Zabrak warrior. He didn't speak a word, and his attitude was entirely different from all of the other fighters Maul had beaten. He was calm, serious, and quiet, much like Maul.

Maul gave the man a respectful smile. "A Rattataki." He spoke to the man.

'I've read of them in the studies Maul gave me. But I never saw one on Tatooine, or ever, from what I can remember.' Arian thought to herself as she closely examined the Rattataki.

Eath'ahn glanced over at Arian, trying to read her reactions. From what he was able to tell, she didn't seem very familiar with the Rattataki species. It made him a little uneasy… And uneasiness was something he rarely felt. 'She can't be a… Is she…?' He buried the uncomfortable feeling deep inside himself, and turned his attention back to Teran and LM, faking a small smirk to try and ease his discomfort.

"You're different from other warriors I've ever encountered, Zabrak." The Rattataki spoke in a deep and stern voice. "Very strong, skilled, respectful, silent and serious. There aren't many out there with talents such as yours."

Maul's smile turned back to a near emotionless look. "I sense that you're strong as well." Maul spoke, which was rare for him unless he found it essential. "The Force flows strong through you, as it does me."

Teran closed his eyes and bowed his head faintly down. "The Force alone is not enough to make one strong. From your abilities, I can tell you already know that." He opened his eyes and looked back up at LM again. "Once needs strict training and discipline. Many people now do not know of such things. But if one were to grow up on Rattatak such as myself, they'd fully understand the meaning of what it is to be a capable warrior."

From Teran's words, Arian remembered the information she read about the Rattataki people. 'The Rattataki… They're cut-off from most of the galaxy, and they're an extremely brutal culture. Their home planet has barely enough food to survive, and so the others races that live there are in constant battle with them over anything that could be found… No wonder this guy's so serious and appears so strong.' She felt more worried than before if Maul would be a match against him.

Eath'ahn continued to look at how LM and Teran acted towards each other and he started to speak. "You know of the Rattataki, girl?"

Arian found it strange that Eath'ahn spoke to her without tease or his usual manner. "I know of them from some books I've read, but I've never seen any."

That confirmed it. He now knew that the girl wasn't a Rattataki herself. But with her white skin, the only other race he could think of her being was… "Teran was born and raised on Rattatak, much like the rest of his species." He explained without looking at her.

Arian felt minutely off from Eath'ahn's sudden change of attitude. She looked over at him.

"He is a strong Force-sensitive like your Zabrak friend. Being born and raised on Rattatak, he further developed his skills and fighting capabilities. I traveled to Rattatak years ago in search for a strong warrior to serve me. I found him in his teen years. He gladly accepted my invitation, and he has been my strongest warrior ever since. I wasn't joking to you or your friend when I told you that he's never lost a fight."

From Eath'ahn's words, Arian could tell he was being sincere. She looked back forward at Maul and Teran, eager for Maul to start his battle with him; and at the same time, afraid for him to start.

The crowds of people became louder. "Come on! Fight already!" One of them yelled. "We're not here for a staring contest! Fight!"

Teran smirked at the Zabrak. "Shall we give the audience what they want?"

Maul's look was now completely somber. "What they want means nothing to me. I will end you and obtain what I came here for."

Teran's expression changed to a fully serious one as well. He frowned at LM and chose to not reply to his comment.

"The final round!" The announcer yelled with excitement. "The Zabrak, LM versus the Rattataki, Teran!"

Arian gulped as she tensed up. 'You'll win, Master… I just know it.' She assured herself in her mind.

With Teran's high sensitivity to the Force, he felt the girl's nervousness. His eyes twitched over to look at her for a split second, then he kept his piercing gaze on LM.

Maul's eye ridges squinted together in minor anger. He noticed the way that Teran had looked at Arian. 'He is planning something. Either him, or that Twi'lek.' He thought without taking his gaze from Teran's.

"Spectators, get ready. The final round will start in Three... Two..." The announcer began the countdown.

Maul stood still with his hands to his sides while Teran got into a fighting position. Both of their focuses were unfazed by the cheering crowds and the announcer. They stared at each other with piercing, deadly gazes, ready for the final battle.

"…ONE!" The announcer yelled the final part of the countdown.

Arian gripped her hand into a fist at the final countdown number.

Teran promptly and swiftly brought his hand up to Force push Maul. But Maul's keen senses warned him a split second ahead of time. Maul dodged the powerful Rattataki by hurriedly kneeling down. He shoved his leg outward toward Teran's foot, trying to kick him. With a fast jump, Teran dodged Maul's attempted kick.

Arian bit down on her lip. 'Who'll hit first?' She wondered.

Eath'ahn looked at Arian again from the corners of his eyes and tapped the arm rest of his chair in impatience. 'If that Zabrak starts to get hits on Teran…' He still had his idea in his head.

Maul and Teran continuously dodged each others hits for the next few seconds, neither of them unwavering. Both seemed equally matched… That is until Maul finally saw an opening and took it. He brought his fist to punch Teran harshly into the side of his shoulder.

Teran endured the hit the best he could, grunting only slightly at the pain. He forced himself to keep his eyes open and focused on the formidable Zabrak warrior, knowing that if he didn't, he would surely loose.

Arian smiled under her hood. "He got the first hit!" She spoke in a hyper whisper.

Eath'ahn grimaced a little and inched over to Arian, still staying in his seat.

Teran used a Force repulse to send LM back, but the stubborn Zabrak kept his ground using his own Force energy to stay in place.

Teran's hand was still out toward LM's chest when Maul felt it clutch the collar of his robes and bring him forward. He was caught off guard when Teran hit him in the side with his free hand, then used another Force push to send Maul flying backwards to the end of the ring.

Maul squinted his eyes when he hit the floor. The unrelenting Rattataki ran towards him, about to pounce on him. Maul kicked his legs to jump up and out of the way, in less than a second Teran bringing his strong foot crashing down into the ground of the arena.

Teran turned around quickly before LM had a chance to run off, and tried to kick him in the back.

Maul sensed his incoming kick and flipped backwards to dodge it. Using the Force, he catapulted himself and outstretched his body straight as to kick Teran.

Teran didn't have enough time to react. He didn't think that LM would use the Force on himself to fight. And so, LM kicked him hard in the jaw, a string of blood flying from his mouth from the impact. His neck turned to the side, and he felt anger swell inside him.

Maul laid atop Teran and clasped one hand around his throat. "It'll be over soon." He calmly told Teran.

Teran grit his teeth and looked over to the side at Eath'ahn with one eye closed. Blood stained on the edge of his mouth, running down to the upper part of his neck.

Arian laughed loudly. "He's going to win!" She couldn't help but cheer.

Eath'ahn hurriedly stood up and aimed his hand at a specific spot on the hooded girl's neck. Then he struck her in the back of the neck with a swift hit. She gasped from pain and began falling forward.

Maul's eye widened as he felt Arian's force energy almost leave her… As if she were asleep. Slowly, he turned his head, still keeping his grasp on Teran's neck.

Teran smirked weakly at LM.

Maul, with still wide eyes, stared at Eath'ahn. He was clutching his apprentice by the back of her hood, her body limp and dangling.

Eath'ahn stared at LM, smirking and saying nothing.

"…ARIAN!" Maul yelled out to her. His attention was completely diverted from his fight, to worrying about Arian's safety.

Teran took the chance he had and punched LM in the side of the face.

Maul fell to the side and braced himself up, twitching a little from the sudden pain swelling in his head.

Teran made himself stand up and catch his breath. He stared at LM as he panted. "Stay focused on our fight!" He sternly told him. "Or is that girl's wellbeing more important?" He ridiculed him.

Maul forced himself up. He had a little more endurance than Teran had, and pushed his pain aside. He fully stood and snarled at Teran, pure furry in his eyes.

Eath'ahn looked at the girl. "So, her name is Arian…" He brought her up to him and looked at her still cloaked head. "Now we'll finally see what you look like under that thing." The Twi'lek placed his hand on Arian's hood and pushed it back.

Once he saw her face, he gasped and dropped her to the floor, walked backwards and began to nearly shiver. "That thing… That witch! Get her away from me!" He yelled loudly.

Eath'ahn's two bodyguards came to his side. "Master Eath'ahn!" They both shouted to him.

Bezon went over to Arian and bent down to look at her unconscious form.

Trenon grasped Eath'ahn by the shoulders, bracing him up from him nearly falling down from what seemed to be fear.

"Dathomir witch filth!" Eath'ahn's eyes were wide and his voice trembling. "Don't let that witch touch me!"

'I've never seen Master Eath'ahn act this way…' Bezon thought to himself as he looked through the corners of his red eyes at his Master's trembling. He placed his long reptilian hands on Arian's left arm and dragged her up into the air. "Master Eath'ahn, what do we do with this one?" He asked as he turned to fully look at his Master.

Eath'ahn stared at Arian as he tried to calm his fast beating heart. Trenon stared at him from behind, worried. "B-bring her…" His voice was shaky. "I've waited a long time to finally exact my revenge on one of those revolting Dathomirians…" His scared voice slowly turned to a more angry one, and he became a little less fearful. "Come, Trenon, Bezon… Just don't allow her to touch me." He turned and shoved Trenon's hand from his shoulder.

"But, Master Eath'ahn!" Trenon looked over at the arena to see LM and Teran still viciously fighting. "What about the Zabrak and Teran?"

Eath'ahn had lost complete focus from the fight due to finding out the hooded girl's race. "I had almost forgotten… You stay here, Trenon. Bezon, come with me and just bring the witch." He had nearly completely regained his composure as he turned around to walk away.

Trenon nodded and turned to keep his eyes on the fight between LM and Teran. In the meantime, Bezon followed Eath'ahn to wherever he was leading him, dragging Arian along with him.

Maul and Teran had still fought. Maul finding it hard to fully focus on the fight with Arian's safety on his mind. He kicked Teran hard in the stomach, causing the Rattataki to stun grasp himself in pain. Maul ran as fast as he could towards Eath'ahn, trying to catch up with him before he and his henchmen could escape with his apprentice.

"I said…" Teran growled. "PAY ATTENTION TO OUR BATTLE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs and reached out to LM using the Force, tripping the Zabrak warrior before he could run outside of the ring.

"LM seems to be distracted by something, folks!" The announcer said. "But what could be more important than the final round? Our unique Zabrak warrior has gotten this far, but did he finally meet his match? Is he giving up to the Rattataki, Teran?!" The announcer spoke with great enthusiasm.

Maul jumped up and stared Teran down again.

Teran smiled back at him with a smirk. "What will you do, Zabrak?" He taunted. "You seem to have some sort of weakness for that girl. Will you abandon our battle to rescue her, shaming yourself as a fighter?"

Maul bared his teeth at Teran and gripped his hand into a tight fist. "I came here to win. I'll kill you first and take what I came here for. That includes the girl."

Teran chuckled. "Then win!" He mocked. "Finish our fight!" He ran towards LM, continuing his battle with him.

Maul stood still and stared at him, focusing using the Force. 'I have to finish this quick.' He thought to himself, not once taking his gaze from Teran's incoming form. 'I must get the credits. And I must retrieve Arian…' Maul felt the Force rushing faster and faster through him. '…Before she ends up getting hurt.'

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I'm sorry I didn't update for so long. I've been VERY busy, and there have been some power outages because of a hurricane hitting where I live and then a blizzard. I also had writer's block for a long time… So I had no idea for a while what to write next. But now I've gotten back on track, and I'll try to update again as soon as I can!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21: Revenge from a Twi'lek

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran…) **

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 21: Revenge from a Twi'lek

Maul Force pushed Teran as hard as he possibly could, blowing the Rattataki high into the air.

Teran regained control over his flailing body in the air using the Force and stared at LM, who had jumped up and was heading towards him, about to punch. On sheer instinctual reaction, Teran dodged him, and both he and LM fell back down to the ring.

Maul relentlessly ran after him, unfocused. He felt Eath'ahn's presence leaving further and further, meaning that Arian was growing in more danger. He would be unable to take her back from the Twi'lek if he completely escaped with her.

Teran dodged LM's attacks. "You're so unfocused, Zabrak!" He smiled. "I never expected a warrior such as yourself to have attachment to such a weak person like her."

Maul bared his teeth again at Teran, annoyed by the things he was saying and his voice. He continued to attack, but the formidable Rattataki continued to dodge every hit. 'I AM unfocused…' He thought in the back of his mind. 'But there's no way that's it due to "worrying" about her. Why would I worry about Arian?' Suddenly, he remembered back to that embarrassing dream he had of her recently. 'What?' He wondered to himself why he suddenly thought of it and became even more unfocused than he already was.

Teran easily sensed LM's distraction, and nearly read his thoughts. Taking advantage of the opening, he Force pushed LM backwards.

LM caught himself by back flipping and landing steadily on his feet.

He and Teran both stopped again and stared at each other. "Did I hit something, Zabrak?" Teran deliberately teased him, knowing that it would help him win the more that LM became more focused on his thoughts and not the battle. "Was I right? You have a weakness for the girl?"

Maul glared at him, feeling his anger rise more and more.

"I was able to sense you and hers reactions to each other, even before we started our fight." Teran explained as he crossed his arms. "The girl you call Arian is fond of you. Loyal and obedient. No wonder you are so angered that Master Eath'ahn took her."

Maul gripped his hand into a fist. "Where is he taking her?" He calmly asked. "And why was he so frightened when he found out her race?" He usually wouldn't ask about the thoughts and feelings of others, but this time was different. He needed to know, in case he wouldn't be able to finish the tournament on time to recover her. If Teran gave him even a small bit of information, it might help him track down Eath'ahn easier if he ended up leaving Coruscant.

Teran looked behind LM to where Eath'ahn and his Trandoshan henchmen had ran to. "Truthfully, Zabrak, I haven't a clue. Why don't you ask him yourself?… That is, if you'll be able to win." He uncrossed his arms and gestured for LM to come at him. "If you continue to stay unfocused, you'll surely loose. A fighter like you should already know that." His smirk turned to a serious frown.

Maul knew the Ratattaki was right. He had to focus. He could deal with retrieving Arian after his fight. But something bothered him… "Why would you give me advice on beating you, Rattataki?"

Teran paused for a moment and his eye met with LM's. "Because you are the only worthy opponent I've ever faced. You're the only one who has ever been formidable to me! I've waited for a fight like this for years, Zabrak. I won't let whatever emotions you have for that girl to interfere with it!"

Maul smirked, understanding and honored by what the Rattataki's words. "…Let's get this over with." He ran towards Teran, trying his best for the next few minutes to block Arian from his mind.

Trenon stared at the two warriors, nearly emotionless. He was used to the tournaments since he was Eath'ahn's bodyguard. But he knew his reason for being there wasn't just to be witness to see who won the fight. He was also there to make sure that the gamblers who had lost their bets stayed in place and didn't run off. Since Eath'ahn himself was no longer in the tournament area, Trenon had to keep an eye on them. But he was a little curious to see who would win. Due to his own thoughts and feelings, he would respect whoever won the battle, be it Teran or LM. He was by no means the type to lie or cheat. However, he had also never seen Eath'ahn's men loose in a tournament. 'If that Zabrak does end up winning…' He thought to himself. 'I might as well allow him to do as he pleases any way. If he is able to beat someone like Teran, then I would stand no chance against him. Besides, there's no need to risk my life over one of Master Eath'ahn's tournaments.'

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><p>Eath'ahn and Bezon made it to their Star ship. The Twi'lek pressed the keypad once inside to close the door as Bezon made it fully in with him, carrying Arian over his shoulder.<p>

Bezon walked over to the cockpit, about to start the engine.

"Do not turn it on!" Eath'ahn yelled at him.

Bezon's hand snapped back from the ignition. "Ahh…?" He turned around and looked at Eath'ahn, who was making he way up to him.

"Set the witch down. Over there." He pointed to a nearby steel wall of the ship, then walked off to another area.

Bezon nodded and did as his Master said; walking up to the wall and propping Arian's still unconscious form against it.

Eath'ahn came back with a cup of water and a large metal cuff in his hands. He handed the cuff to Bezon, gesturing him to bind her hands around her back with it. The Trandoshan did as he ordered him, and Eath'ahn splashed the cup of water it onto Arian's face.

Arian moaned and her eyebrows rutted. Slowly, she opened her eyes. At first, her vision blurrily faded in, and she moaned from a sore feeling on the back of her neck. Once her senses came to, she gasped and stared at Eath'ahn and his Trandoshan bodyguard; whom were both standing and staring down at her.

"W-What?!" Arian stared at Eath'ahn with an angry glare. "Where am I? Where is-…?" She remembered the last of what she saw before she was knocked out was Maul fighting the Rattataki.

"Your friend will soon loose to Teran." Eath'ahn explained to her as he stared at her with a look of disgust.

"Why did you take me?!" Arian tried to move her hands to use the Force on Eath'ahn, but when she tried she felt her hands were bound together by a cold object.

"Your witch powers won't work right now, girl." Eath'ahn explained as he pointed behind her back. "I had Bezon knot your hands so you'd be unable to do so."

"Witch powers?" Arian felt more confused than ever. The only powers she knew she had was the power to use the Force.

"Don't play stupid with me, you lying Dathomirian filth!" Eath'ahn shouted while he kicked Arian in the side of her shoulder as hard as he could.

Arian grunted in pain and she fell on her side, unable to prop herself back up due to her wrists being shackled. She felt total anger towards the Twi'lek for kicking her, and growled as she twisted her head to the side and bared her teeth at him. "Filth?" She asked. "You seemed so engrossed with me earlier… Didn't you?! You disgusting excuse for a Twi'lek!" If she couldn't fight back physically, she decided to verbally.

Eath'ahn squinted his eyes in fury. He knew she was right and felt sickened with himself for being so physical with her a before as they had watched the tournament. He lifted his leg up and stomped down hard on Arian's upper back. "You, Talzin, and the rest of her coven… All of you deserve to die at my hand!" He kicked her as hard as he could.

Arian forced herself to not yell out from the pain as her body rolled to the side and she lay on her back form Eath'ahn's kick. She didn't want to give the Twi'lek the pleasure of hearing her cry out. She coughed a little from the strain that he put on her body. "I- I told you before…" She strained herself to say. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Bezon watched as Eath'ahn walked up to her and kneeled down to her level to look her in the eye.

"None of you Dathomiri witches can be trusted. Not you, not Talzin." Eath'ahn calmed himself and whispered crossly to her.

'Who's this Talzin woman he keeps talking about?!' Arian wondered to himself. Then she remembered back to her dreams… Dreams that she had randomly ever since she had arrived on Tatooine. 'If this Talzin is a Dathomirian like me…' Her eyes widened. '…Then maybe she has something to do with my past!'

Eath'ahn stared at her with not only with anger, but now also with inquisition.

Arian decided to trick him with a question. "What did Talzin ever do to you?" She asked, making it seem like she knew Talzin personally. Besides from making something better of herself and eventually leaving Tatooine, she had wanted for the longest time to know about her past… 'Maybe I can get some sort of information regarding my past…'

Bezon looked from Arian and at Eath'ahn, wondering that himself. 'Why DOES he have such hatred towards the Dathomirians? Their people almost never leave Dathomir or bother anyone. From what I know, they're very secluded from the rest of the galaxy.'

Eath'ahn sneered at her. "I knew you were lying, girl. I knew that you know Talzin…" He was puzzled by her question though. 'If she knows Talzin, then how does she not know what I'm talking about?' Then, he looked at her closely, realizing how young she was. "Perhaps you weren't even born when she did what she did."

Arian stared at him, wondering what he was talking about.

"Still…" Eath'ahn continued. "That does not exclude you from being a part of those witches!" He took a small blade from his pocket and held it up to her throat.

Arian leaned back slightly and squinted one eye, veering herself away from the blade.

"I've wanted revenge on at least one of your kind for a little over twenty years. It would've been better if it had been Talzin herself, but I know that I'll never be able to get near her. But maybe she'll miss one of her little witches…" He poked the tip of the knife into the bottom of Arian's jaw, causing a small amount of blood to trickle down her neck.

Arian gulped from the cut. She opened her squinted eye to look into Eath'ahn's own eyes. "If you are… going to kill me." She paused her sentence from Eath'ahn pushing the knife slightly harder against her skin. "You could at least tell me what Talzin did to you to make you hate her and the other Dathomirians so much."

Eath'ahn narrowed his eyes at Arian and paused, wondering what he should do. He made up his mind and took the blade from her neck and stood up, turning himself around to not face her. "…I could do that. I AM less of an animal then you Dathomirians, after all."

Arian stayed silent and only stared at him as she felt her heart race. She wanted desperately to know more of the Dathomirians. So far, she only knew some from what Maul and Sidious taught her. But by gaining knowledge of what personal things they seemingly did to Eath'ahn, maybe she'd be able to understand more about herself and why she couldn't remember anything before her life on Tatooine… And it might even give her enough time to find a way to escape the cuffs that Bezon and placed on her.

"I was only a young boy when it happened." Eath'ahn breathed out deeply, trying to calm his anger. But his henchmen, Bezon, could feel pure hate radiating off his Master.

"My father, like myself now, was a wealthy, proud man." Eath'ahn explained as he slowly paced forward, keeping his back turned to Arian and Bezon. "He's the reason I am what I am today. If it weren't for my father's guidance, I would've never gotten where I am now. I would not be rich and powerful… I wouldn't be famous, and I wouldn't have a future outside my home planet." He looked up, as if looking towards the stars. "I deeply honored, respected, and loved my father. With all of my heart. But that witch Talzin took him from me…"

Arian looked at him, feeling no remorse for the man because of how he treated her. But, she kept her silence, wanting to know more of his story.

"In search of a capable fighter, my father traveled across the galaxy. Exactly as I did, which is how I came to find Teran, my most elite warrior yet." Eath'ahn continued. "He decided to eventually go to a planet that had purposely isolated itself from the rest of the galaxy; Dathomir. He knew that the women there were very strong warriors. Ones so immersed in the dark side, he knew that at least one of them would be his perfect fighter."

'Immersed in the dark side?' Arian wondered. 'Is that what Master Sidious meant when I first met him and he said that I'm immersed in the dark side? No, it can't be… If that was the case, then he would've just gotten some random Dathomirian from Dathomir way before he met me. I remember he told me that I'm more towards the dark side than others because of my beliefs and wants…'

"And so, he did find one. A woman from the Nightsister coven, the coven that, of course you know, Talzin is leader of." Eath'ahn crossed his arms. "He found a very strong woman there, whom was one of Talzin's most powerful Nightsisters. But there was a problem with her. And because of the problem, Talzin refused to let my father take her as his fighter."

"What problem was that?" Arian asked as she quietly tried to undo the metal cuffs around her wrists…

"The Nightsister woman was pregnant. And she was to soon give birth to a girl, another one of you witches." Eath'ahn's voice became slightly more furious. "My father was displeased, and offered Talzin wealth. A large amount of wealth, to be more precise. But Talzin refused and tried to force him to leave. My father, being the type of man he was, would never take no for an answer. And so he left. But hours later he returned to Dathomir and crept into their sleeping grounds at night and poisoned the pregnant Nightsister by cutting into her skin with a knife which had been submersed into a potent poison he had made…" He let one of his hands down, gripping it hard into a fist. "The Nightsister woke up from the cut and took my father before he could escape from Dathomir and brought him to Talzin. Talzin then killed him herself for what he did to the Nightsister…"

Arian was surprised at what he told her and looked down. 'He poisoned a pregnant woman…' She thought. She knew that there were people out in the galaxy that would do things like that, but she never expected to know of a story such as what Eath'ahn told her. But it didn't matter. No one else to her mattered. Only her life and serving Maul mattered to her, now. 'Talzin… Maybe Talzin knows about me.' She thought to herself in the back of her mind. "So you've hated the Nightsisters ever since?"

Eath'ahn turned to her, hatred and vengeance in his eyes and growled. He didn't answer what Arian asked him…

"How did you find out your father's death?" Arian decided to ask a random question as to stall for more time.

"He had brought a droid with him." Eath'ahn explained, staring down at her. "The droid left on my father's star ship to send me, his son, the information on his death."

"…So." Arian suddenly remembered that she still had her lightsaber tucked behind her back. 'I can use my saber to break the cuffs off!' She thought. But she still had to stall him for at least a few seconds longer… "Whatever happened to the Nightsister's baby if she was poisoned? Did it die, too?"

"The woman died, but Talzin saved the child before the poison could get to it and kill it." Eath'ahn sickeningly told her. Then, he smirked and started walking closer to her. "By killing you, I may just make up for that Nightsister's baby girl surviving!" He shouted as he put his hand in his pocket to pull out the knife again.

Arian smirked at him as she was able to finally grasp the hilt of her lightsaber. She tilted it, aiming it at the cuffs around her wrists. She was frightened a little, hoping that she wouldn't cut her own hands off. But she had no other choice. She squinted her eyes and pressed the button as she leaned forward. The hot, red-colored beam burst out and cut the cuffs from her wrists.

Eath'ahn didn't even have enough time to fully expose his kinfe again as he staggered backwards and yelled in shock. "W-WHAT?!"

Bezon stepped back, too. "A Jedi?!"

Arian held the lightsaber in front of her with both hands. The red glow shined on her face, making her features seem more deadly to Eath'ahn than before.

"How?! How can this be?!" Eath'ahn's voice shook with terror. "You're one of the Nightsisters! You can't be Jedi!"

Arian leered at him and gripped her lightsaber hard. She wanted more than anything to just kill Eath'ahn where he stood… But then she remembered, 'Maul is fighting Teran… Will he be able to win?' She was conflicted with her thoughts.

Should she kill Teran where he stands, or should she go after her Master? 'Did he already win, or is he loosing… because of me?' Arian couldn't help but wonder…

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I'm glad I was able upload a new chapter so quickly! I'll start a new one as soon as I can!<strong>

**.P.S To Bloodfin - Thank you so much for your good reviews! I wish that everyone who left me reviews left long ones the way you do! ^_^**


	22. Chapter 22: Concern

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran…) **

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 22: Concern

Arian took a single step towards Eath'ahn, her lightsaber still grasped tightly in her hands. 'I should kill him…' She thought as she stared into Eath'ahn's fear filled eyes. She stood still, thinking deeper. 'Ugg… I can't!' She remembered that Eath'ahn needed to stay alive. Her and Maul came to obtain the unmarked credits, and if Eath'ahn were to be killed, then they would possibly fail their mission…

Eath'ahn dropped his knife onto the floor and sweat dripped from his forehead. He put his hands in the air, showing Arian that he wouldn't harm her and backed up a few paces.

Arian, so absorbed in her thoughts and what she should do, continued to stay motionless.

When Bezon noticed that she wouldn't move, he smirked. "M-Master Eath'ahn!" His voice rattled slightly.

Eath'ahn heard his bodyguard, but didn't turn to look or answer him.

"She's a Jedi! You don't have to worry." Bezon grinned, his sharp teeth displaying through his long, scaly snout. "The Jedi are too weak!" He felt fearless after remembering the way the Jedi handled situations like this. "They only kill if it's necessary!"

Eath'ahn's eyes widened, then they calmed. "…You're right." He put his hands to his sides, but still continued to back up from uneasiness. "You're not going to do anything to me, are you? Little Jedi…"

Arian clenched her teeth in anger, hating how Eath'ahn was mocking her. She shifted her dark eyes over to Bezon. 'I may not be able to kill Eath'ahn, but…'

Bezon noticed her staring at him, and felt his stomach churn in sudden fear. "No one ever said anything about… YOU!" With a twist of her arms, she stabbed her lightsaber through Bezon's chest.

The large reptilian hissed and screamed as the hot blade penetrated through his chest. Arian withdrew her saber in a matter of seconds, and Bezon fell forward to the ground, motionless.

Arian felt a strange feeling arise in her heart. 'I've never killed before…' She thought in her mind. She had seen people get killed a lot on Tatooine, so it wasn't something new to her to witness. But she had never caused someone's death herself… 'I actually just killed him.' She stared down at his body, his tongue hanging from the side of his mouth. The feeling from seeing the person she just killed… 'It feels strange…' It didn't upset her, she just felt… different.

Eath'ahn gasped at the sight of the Dathomirian girl killing Bezon. He had thought that what his henchmen had said was right, but then after seeing Arian actually kill him from out of what seemed like anger… "He didn't even attack you!"

Arian got back in position, herself and her lightsaber facing forward towards Eath'ahn again. Her stare on him now seemed slightly more cold.

"There's no way you can be a Jedi!" Eath'ahn shook with terror ever more than before. He remembered back to when he was a child, his father told him of stories from long ago. Stories about the Jedi… And that the Jedi weren't the only ones who, throughout their lives, wielded the powerful lightsabers. "No… you're a… a…"

Arian stepped closer towards him and abruptly shut off the beam on her lightsaber.

"A Sit-" Arian punched Eath'ahn hard in the face before he could finish his sentence. He fell backwards, his head and body hitting the floor with a hard thump.

'This is bad…' Arian thought as she stared at Eath'ahn, who was know knocked out and laying on the floor. 'He knows, now. He knows I'm a Sith!' She stepped over his body, rushing back to the tournament. She had more important things to deal with than to just stand there and worry about what Eath'ahn knew. She had to get back to her Master.

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><p>In the minutes that passed, Maul was still persistently fighting the stalwart Rattataki. Though he tried his best to block Arian from his thoughts, they still continued to linger on her. 'At this point I won't be able to…' He felt rage arise inside him at the thought of the possibility of loosing. 'All I've been through… All my master has taught me…' He blocked one of Teran's punches. 'I haven't even had my chance to do what I was trained for… Reveal to the Jedi the survival of the Sith, and eliminate them! I cannot loose here and disgrace myself and my master! If I loose to this man, then what hope would I have in destroying the Jedi!?' For the first time in his life, he doubted himself.<p>

"What's wrong?" Teran asked, blocking one of LM's kicks. "Can't land a hit? I told you to stay focused! Stop thinking of that damn girl!"

But Teran was wrong. Maul had stopped thinking of Arian, and now could only center his mind on the future and his doubts. But in a way, Teran was right. Maul wouldn't be loosing in the first place if Arian being taken hadn't first averted his attention. 'It's her fault…' Maul thought as he grit his teeth and stepped backwards, guarding himself against more of Teran's hits. 'If that hadn't happened, I wouldn't be worried about Arian and-' His thoughts stopped once he realized that he had just admitted in his mind that he WAS worried about Arian.

Teran kicked LM in the chest, sending him backward on the ground. He stared at him, disappointed. "I should just take back what I said to you before, Zabrak." He started walking slowly towards him. "I originally thought that you were a formidable fighter. But I was wrong. You're emotionally weak, just like those Jedi."

Maul propped himself on his hands and grit his teeth at Teran's words. 'Comparing me to those Jedi scum…'

Teran frowned disappointingly at LM. "All that's left for you now is to die, Zabrak. At least this way, you'll perish with your honor intact."

Maul stared at him, his yellow eyes glowing with hatred.

Teran was about to land one last hit, until suddenly, he heard a girl yell…

"MASTER!" Arian yelled as loud as she could as she quickly made her way into the tournament area again. She stopped and stared at Maul, who was still propping himself up on the arena floor.

Teran stared at Arian, his mouth agape.

Maul turned his head back slowly and stared at Arian. The look on his face seemed to fade from anger, to a astonishment. 'She escaped…' He thought.

Arian looked at Maul and sighed. "You didn't loose." She felt relieved. "I was so worried about you!" She blushed a little and stiffened up at what she admitted to him.

Maul gasped, his eyes widening and his heartbeat slowing down as he in took Arian's words. 'She was…' His mind paused, still comprehending what she said. 'worried… about me?'

Teran was surprised himself. Surprised so much that even he lost focus on the battle, and only began to stare.

Maul noticed something different about her. Then he realized what it was, and scowled at her. "Put your hood back on!" He quietly and sternly whispered to her.

Arian's eyes widened at her mistake and she hastily brought her hood back over her head, concealing her identity again. 'Hopefully no one saw me…' She thought, hoping that the crowds of people were paying so close attention to the fight that they didn't bother to look at her.

Maul continued to look at her, wondering what happened between her and Eath'ahn, and repeating what she said to him in his mind.

Teran focused himself on the battle again. LM was still down, and this was his chance to beat him. He positioned himself, about to strike LM to finish him off.

"Look out!" Arian shouted and pointed at Teran.

Maul felt focus come back to him as he stared at Teran, who's fist was about to come in contact with his body. On Arian's alarm, he rolled and dodged Teran's hit, then kicked under his feet, tripping him.

Arian grinned when she saw Maul get the upper hand on the Rattataki.

Maul sensed Teran's overconfidence and used it to his advantage. With knowing that Arian was safe, he felt the Force come back to him. That's when he knew the fight was about to come to an end… He leaped up and pressed his leg down onto Teran's neck before he had a chance to stand up.

Teran wheezed as he felt LM's leg crushing down on his esophagus. From the pain and the position, he couldn't move. He knew in his heart he had lost…

Maul bent over on his knee and held up his gloved hand, about to eliminate Teran with one last strike. He looked into the Rattatki's ice cold eyes and sensed a deep feeling of respect.

Teran smirked. "So, this is how it's going to end…" He looked into LM's yellow eyes. "At least this way, I can die with honor." He closed his eyes and continued to smile. "Dying by your hands, Zabrak… Dying by the most formidable opponent I've ever faced. In a way, I thank you."

Maul respected Teran's words. As a fighter himself, he knew how the man felt. And because of Teran's admirable strength and honor, he would in turn give him a worthy death. And with one swift twist with his hand, Maul broke Teran's neck.

The crowds of people grew silent. Maul stood from Teran's now deceased body and looked at Arian with a calm stare.

"…He won!" The announcer yelled into the microphone after a long pause. "LM won the final round! For the first time ever, Eath'ahn lost one of his tournaments!"

Maul jumped off the arena and grabbed Arian's wrist, pulling her with him. "Let's go. Now!" He commanded her as he ran with her in the direction that Eath'ahn had originally taken her. "Where is he?"

Arian knew he was talking about Eath'ahn. "I knocked him out, Master. He's on the floor in his star ship! It's not too far from this place."

Maul stopped when he saw Eath'ahn's other bodyguard, Trenon. He stared him down.

"Go ahead. I'm not going to stop you." Trenon knew better than to mess with the Zabrak. He even knew that since Eath'ahn lost, there was no use in keeping the gamblers there. "I suppose you all can leave."

The gamblers all ran from behind Trenon and hurried to exit the underground tournament, all nearly trampling over one another. As Trenon watched them, he realized something. 'They're going to end up drawing unwanted attention when they leave…' He decided it was best for him to leave, too. Otherwise, he might end up getting in trouble.

Maul took his gaze from him and continued on with where he was headed.

"We're nearly done." Maul said to Arian as he ran with her, still pulling her with him.

Arian looked at him from behind. She could tell by Maul's voice that he wasn't pleased… And she knew that she was in for some harsh punishment for all the mistakes that she had made during the whole tournament.

"Wait, where is he going?!" The announcer asked over the microphone. Even the spectators in the stands couldn't tell what was going on.

* * *

><p>Maul and Arian made it to Eath'ahn's starship within only minutes, as Arian told for Maul where to go. They looked at the entrance of the ship and could see Eath'ahn beginning to sit up as he awoke from being knocked out.<p>

'He's not going to get away…' Maul thought as he ran faster towards him. Reaching out his hand, he gripped Eath'ahn by the throat using the Force and held him up in the air.

Eath'ahn grasped his neck as he gasped for air, feeling the Force take a hold of his neck.

Maul stopped once finally up to him and let his Force choke on him go, dropping the Twi'lek to the floor. Then, he let go of Arian's wrist and took hold of the collar of his shirt, turning Eath'ahn around to face him.

"I won your little game." He whispered in a cold voice and brought Eath'ahn's eyes to stare into his. "Now… the unmarked credits. Seven-hundred-thousand, plus the grand prize of one-million. Or, would you rather die?"

Eath'ahn grit his teeth in anger. He could tell that LM had won the battle, judging by the fact that he was alive and standing in front of him. 'Teran always killed his opponents…' He thought. But now, he knew that Teran was long gone… 'Damn…' He moved his hand to his back pocket and took out the pad that Arian and the other gamblers had placed their bets on. He started fusing Arian's bet and the one-million prize money together using the pad.

Maul looked around the room as Eath'ahn did as he forced him to. A few feet away on the ground, he saw the Trandoshan bodyguard laying on the ground with a large hole through his chest. He could tell by the wound that it was from a lightsaber. 'So… Arian's first kill. That's how she escaped.'

From behind, Arian could see that Maul was looking at the corpse of the Trandoshan. She couldn't help but wonder what Maul thought of her.

"Here." Eath'ahn took the credit chip out of the pad after entering in all of numbers and held it up to LM.

Maul took it from Eath'ahn's hand without hesitation and placed the credit chip in his pocket, then threw the Twi'lek onto the floor.

"It's over. Now, we take leave." Maul told Arian in a calm voice as he stood up and started walking away.

Arian nodded her head at him, about to follow him out of the starship.

Eath'ahn stood fully on his two feet and braced himself against the side of his starship. He smirked at Arian and LM from behind and chuckled.

Maul stopped when he heard Eath'ahn's laughs.

"I know what you both are…" Eath'ahn paused and continued to stare at them. "Only Jedi wield lightsabers. But judging how your Dathomirian friend killed Bezon without a second thought or remorse, I know of what you both really are…"

Maul turned around and shot Arian a cold stare. 'I can't believe you… How idiotic can you be?!' He screamed in his mind.

Arian avoided his gaze and looked down at her feet. 'I'm really in for it, now…'

"In the stories told, they were all eliminated by the Jedi. But nothing is impossible. I know that both of you… Are Sith." Eath'ahn laughed.

Maul picked Eath'ahn up again by the throat with a Force grip, about to kill him. 'He knows too much.'

Arian stared at him. She knew that Maul was going to kill Eath'ahn for finding out what they were.

But suddenly, Arian heard sirens close by. "Master, do you hear that?" She asked and turned around, looking in the direction of the noise.

Maul felt a sudden disturbance in the Force. A strong disturbance… "They're near…" He whispered to himself. "We have no time!" Instead of killing Eath'ahn, he threw him out of his starship and across the street, behind the tournament grounds. Taking Arian by the hand again, he pulled her with him and ran as fast as he could to get back to the meter where he had parked Bloodfin.

* * *

><p>Due to the large amount of gamblers that had left the tournament area all at once, they had ended up causing too much commotion and gained the attention of police droids. Upon investigation by the droids, they found out about the illegal tournament. There were too many people there for them to handle alone, and so they requested the assistance of the Jedi.<p>

Even before the Jedi were called for, one of them had sensed a dark surge in the Force…

A beautiful young woman of the Kage race, standing at about 5'5 tall, around the age of twenty with long, white hair and pink-red eyes paced towards where the illegal tournament was held. Beside her walked a much older, slightly taller man, who's race was Cerean. Long red hair adorned the back of his cone-like skull, and he had a thin, red mustache. Both he and the Kage girl were dressed in light brown, expensive-looking robes, the only differentiating factor of the Ceran's was a black cowl draped around his neck and shoulders.

"Throughout the years I've trained you, Celeste, you have grown so strong with the Force." The Cerean man said to the younger girl as he looked down at her, still heading towards the tournament area.

Celeste smirked up at him, then turned her head back to face the outside of the tournament area. She could see police droids arresting many people, including the one that had started the tournament; Eath'ahn. "I was even able to sense the disturbance before you, Master Ker-an-ten." She felt proud of herself.

The Jedi Master, Ker-an-ten looked down at his padawan, Celeste, and smiled. "Don't be too overconfident in yourself, Celeste. I've always told you that overconfidence can lead to the dark side."

Celeste got an annoyed look on her face. "Don't worry about that, Master. You know I'll never be swayed by the dark side." She kept her eyes on Eath'ahn as the droids held his hands behind his back so he couldn't escape. "There was something strange, though. The disturbance I had sensed faded away only a few minutes before we got here."

Ker-an-ten looked down at her. "You had sensed it leave too, then?"

Celeste nodded, keeping her head forward. "Yes. And the feeling was very… unfamiliar. It wasn't something I have ever sensed before, even with all of the missions we've been through, together." She tilted her head to look back up at him, questioningly. "It was here and gone so fast, I couldn't make out what it was."

Ker-an-ten shook his head. He knew that Celeste was asking him if he knew what it was without her even asking him directly. "Neither could I."

The two Jedi walked up to Eath'ahn, ready to question and arrest him.

* * *

><p>Maul and Arian had quickly boarded Scimitar after they had gotten back to Bloodfin. They both felt their hearts racing from the amount of running they did, and also from concern of being seen by the Jedi.<p>

Maul set the cloaking on and entered the coordinates on Scimitar and it soon arose into the air and started flying back to their secret base. Arian stood behind him, looking out one of the windows. After Maul finished, he stared at Arian's back side with pure anger and exasperation.

Arian could feel her Master's cold stare on her back. She turned, ready to face whatever punishment he would bestow upon her.

"What were you thinking?!" Maul yelled at her, his usually calm demeanor completely disappearing.

Arian stood still and looked down. "I.." Before she could speak, Maul Force pushed her hard against the wall. Arian grunted in pain as her back hit the cold interior of Scimitar.

"Ugg!" Maul walked up to her and held his hand up, about to strike Arian. "You useless excuse for a-"

Arian kept her head down, choosing not to look at her Master. 'I deserve this for screwing up so bad. I just disappointed him again…' She couldn't help but think. Her eyebrows scrunched together in sadness and she shut her eyes tight.

Maul was about to strike her hard by bringing his hand down on her. But as he stared at her face, he stopped. Reminiscences' of her and him on this mission suddenly flooded his thoughts, and his expression changed from angry, to confused.

…

_He could see Arian across the other side of the arena. He stared at her, hoping to the Force that she wouldn't screw something up… And that she'd be safe. 'Again that feeling?' He thought._

…

_Eath'ahn smirked more. "You seem to have a strong desire on not allowing me to know more about you, young one." He moved his hand up to grasp her chin._

_Maul breathed out loudly and growled when he saw Eath'ahn touch her. Again, that protective feeling rose inside of him._

…

_Eath'ahn continued to look at her. "Oh, so you bet on that strange Zabrak fellow?" He wasn't completely surprised. He had almost expected her to choose him when he noticed the two looking at each other._

_Arian balled her hand into a fist as she began to feel tense. "What of it?"_

_Maul didn't take his eyes off of them for even a second. He felt strange as he watched how… close Eath'ahn acted towards his apprentice._

…

_Maul couldn't hear what they were saying because of the distance and the crowds of people in the stands. But he didn't like that Eath'an seemed to be making Arian feel so uncomfortable._

_Eath'ahn moved his hand to rest on the girl's shoulder and brought his mouth close to her ear._

_Maul's eyes widened and he felt that protective feeling suddenly grow stronger._

…

_Maul stared at her with a strange look on his face. That feeling he had gotten was still burning inside him, and his mind kept replaying every touch that Eath'ahn had just made on Arian. 'I don't want anyone touching her.' He thought. _

…

…_He remembered back to that dream he recently had of Arian. Gritting his teeth, he tried to focus his mind on something else. But again, he thought of Eath'ahn touching her… A strong feeling of jealously swelled inside him. His mind began to center on two separate thoughts almost at once. 'For Arian to be affected by something as simple as a touch like that can make her vulnerable in the future. Once back on Coruscant, I will teach her to not be so easily seduced…' He thought. But in the back of his mind, he thought something else, too. '…If anyone is to touch her like that again, I will rip out their filthy throats…'_

…

_Maul stared at Eath'ahn and Arian; frustrated, worried, and angry. 'What is he planning…?' He wondered. He despised the way he was acting towards Arian._

…

_Maul stared at her the whole time she was heading over to him, slightly relieved that she was no longer around Eath'ahn._

"_Master." Arian whispered quietly once she got to him._

…

_Maul's eye widened as he felt Arian's force energy almost leave her… As if she were asleep. Slowly, he turned his head, still keeping his grasp on Teran's neck._

_Teran smirked weakly at LM. _

_Maul, with still wide eyes, stared at Eath'ahn. He was clutching his apprentice by the back of her hood, her body limp and dangling. _

_Eath'ahn stared at LM, smirking and saying nothing. _

"…_ARIAN!" Maul yelled out to her. His attention was completely diverted from his fight, to worrying about Arian's safety._

…

_Maul and Teran had still fought. Maul finding it hard to fully focus on the fight with Arian's safety on his mind._

'_I have to finish this quick.' He thought to himself, not once taking his gaze from Teran's incoming form. 'I must get the credits. And I must retrieve Arian…' Maul felt the Force rushing faster and faster through him. '…Before she ends up getting hurt.'_

…

_Teran dodged LM's attacks. "You're so unfocused, Zabrak!" He smiled. "I never expected a warrior such as yourself to have attachment to such a weak person like her."_

_Maul bared his teeth again at Teran, annoyed by the things he was saying and his voice. He continued to attack, but the formidable Rattataki continued to dodge every hit. 'I AM unfocused…' He thought in the back of his mind. 'But there's no way that's it due to "worrying" about her. Why would I worry about Arian?' Suddenly, he remembered back to that embarrassing dream he had of her recently. 'What?' He wondered to himself why he suddenly thought of it and became even more unfocused than he already was._

…

_He and Teran both stopped again and stared at each other. "Did I hit something, Zabrak?" Teran deliberately teased him, knowing that it would help him win the more that LM became more focused on his thoughts and not the battle. "Was I right? You have a weakness for the girl?"_

_Maul glared at him, feeling his anger rise more and more._

"_I was able to sense you and hers reactions to each other, even before we started our fight." Teran explained as he crossed his arms. "The girl you call Arian is fond of you. Loyal and obedient. No wonder you are so angered that Master Eath'ahn took her."_

…

"_MASTER!" Arian yelled as loud as she could as she quickly made her way into the tournament area again. She stopped and stared at Maul, who was still propping himself up on the arena floor._

_Maul turned his head back slowly and stared at Arian. The look on his face seemed to fade from anger, to a astonishment. 'She escaped…' He thought._

_Arian looked at Maul and sighed. "You didn't loose." She felt relieved. "I was so worried about you!" She blushed a little and stiffened up at what she admitted to him._

_Maul gasped, his eyes widening and his heartbeat slowing down as he in took Arian's words. 'She was…' His mind paused, still comprehending what she said. 'worried… about me?'_

…

Instead of striking Arian like he usually would, he slowly set his hand to his side. His eye widened when he repeated that last memory in his mind. _"I was so worried about you!"_ '…Why?' He thought, still staring down at her. '…Why can't I bring myself to hit her?'

Arian had kept her eyes closed, but when she noticed that Maul hadn't yet hit her, she felt confused. Slowly, she opened her eyes and tilted her head up at him, to see him staring down at her with his mouth agape slightly and a somewhat sad but mostly confused expression. 'I've never seen him look like that.' She thought, puzzled by the look in his eyes.

Maul snapped from his thoughts when the noticed how Arian was staring at him. With a small sigh though his nose, he tightened his lips together and swallowed, trying to regain his composure. Then, he turned his back to Arian and slowly headed over to sit down in the cockpit. "…Get up."

Arian had watched him the whole time he had walked away. By the look of his movements and the soft undertone of his voice, she knew something about him was very different. 'Why is he acting like that?' She questioned. On his orders, she stood up, then waited for him to command her again. But after a minute or so of silence, she could tell that he wasn't going to speak to her again until they got back to their and Sidious' base.

Maul looked out of the front window, not once turning his stare from the outside as he had to drive them safely back to the base. But his thoughts were somewhere else… Again, Arian's words repeated in his mind. _"I was so worried about you!"._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I noticed that there are some people who keep writing as reviews, "Please update immedietly!". There is no need to tell me that, since I am updating anyway. There is also no need to worry about me updating if you see that I am updating normally. Sometimes, I take a break from writing to finish other things, such as my drawings and artwork. So please, if anyone can take the time to write to me "Please update immedietly" then you can at least write a normal review of the chapters. Please understand that I am still a normal girl with everyday things that I have to do, and I can't spend ALL of my free time writing. Anyway, I WILL update as soon as I can. Unless I say otherwise, I AM STILL GOING TO WRITE NEW CHAPTERS. It just takes me a while to update, sometimes. I hope dearly that I didn't offend anyone, because I have no intent on hurting anyone's feelings… Anyway, I hope you guys leave long, awesome reviews! Just like how Bloodfin does! He leave I think the most interesting and helpful reviews. And I don't even mind if anyone criticizes my writings, since it may actually help me write better. Just no bullying… I think everyone here is smart enough to no the difference between constructive criticism and bullying… I mean, I haven't gotten any reviews or anything so far that are bullying, I'm just stating this just so everyone knows… lol, I think I'm rambling, now. XD <strong>

**.P.S, For anyone who has been keeping updated with my fanfic, please tell me what you thought of my new Jedi characters: Celeste and Master Ker-an-ten. I can tell you right now, that they will both be playing a MAJOR ROLE in this fanfic, especially Celeste. But that's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to spoil anything.**


	23. Chapter 23: Look to the future

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran, Celeste, Ker-an-ten…) **

* * *

><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 23: Look to the future

Sidious stood on an open balcony which overlooked Coruscant. With his hands behind his back, he gazed up at the darkened sky. Nighttime had fallen, but the lights from the enormous metropolitan planet lit the place up entirely, making everything perfectly visible and clear. He had just finished working on something pertaining to Arian and her sleeping quarters, which now had left him to patiently await for the return of her and his apprentice. With his acute bond with the Force, he could sense their incoming approach. And so, he turned and left, heading to the hanger bay. He usually had no doubt in his apprentice's abilities, but through the Force he sensed a small feeling of unease which came from Maul… And for Maul to feel even a minor amount of apprehension meant something hadn't gone exactly as planned…

* * *

><p>Sidious approached Scimitar, which had fully landed and shut off in the hanger. Maul had already lowered the ramp for him and Arian to walk out on, and Sidious could see them emerging out towards him.<p>

Maul put his hand inside of his robes and took out the credit chip as he headed towards his Master. He had to force himself to stay composed, fearing his Master's punishment for Arian's mess up on the mission. But he knew of his Master's strong senses, and could tell that he already knew something had gone wrong.

Arian kept her head down as she followed behind Maul. She still felt strange from how he had reacted to her earlier in Scimitar when he had chose to not punish her. And she couldn't get her mind off of the alteration of his usually cruel demeanor. The expression on his face lingered in her mind… 'Confused and sad… Why sad?' She thought.

Maul bowed before Sidious once directly in front of him and handed him the chip. "The mission is complete, Master." He forced himself to speak evenly.

"Very good." Sidious' gaze loomed over him with not a hint of happiness on his face. Although his apprentice had successfully completed the mission as he was instructed, he did not accept any type of screw up that may have happened. And he could tell for sure that something had gone wrong.

Maul had taken a few seconds to comfort himself as he continued to bow, not wanting to leave the feeling behind as he raised himself from the position to look at his Master. A trace of fear grew in him once he wholly raised himself up and looked into his Master's cold stare.

Sidious looked into his apprentice's yellow eyes for a second or so longer, then fixed his eyes on Arian. He could tell that the girl's mind was on something else, but he couldn't tell exactly what. But unlike Maul, she didn't seem as worried. "Arian."

Arian kept her head down, unable to hear Sidious' voice. She was too focused on how Maul had reacted…

"Arian." Sidious spoke to her slightly louder.

Arian bit her bottom lip slightly as she eventually heard Sidious call her the second time. "Y-yes, Master Sidious?" She felt a little alerted.

Looking over Maul's shoulder, Sidious gave Arian a fake smile, assuring smile. "I bet that you had a long day, with the mission you completed being your first and all. Go clean yourself up and head to you room to rest."

Maul shifted his eyes to the side although he couldn't see her since she stood behind him. He felt his throat tense up slightly. He knew he was in for punishment, and he hadn't been punished since he was a young boy…

Arian nodded and started to walk to the door that led out of the hanger. But as she passed by Maul, she gave him a side glance. With her eyes meeting with his for just a second, she once again sensed a strange feeling from him like she had sensed before. But this feeling was different, too. And she couldn't tell at all what it was.

Before she left completely, Sidious turned around spoke to her again. "Arian, since you have been with us for a while now I trust that you will continue to comply with the instructions that I give you. You've grown a lot, so I decided that you deserve a little freedom here. So I made it possible for you to enter and leave your room whenever you desire it."

Arian paused and smiled gently to herself and nodded. "Thank you, Master." She spoke to him once more before exiting the hanger.

Sidious turned back to look at his apprentice, the fake smile fading quickly from his face. Anger loomed in his eyes as he stared at Maul.

Maul, being the respectful man that he is and despite his sense of uneasiness, placed his eyes to look into his Master's. Not a hint of how he felt inside showed on his face.

Sidious continued to stare at him without saying a word, then turned his back to him and began walking away. "Come, apprentice."

Maul bowed his head. "Yes, Master." And without hesitation, followed him.

* * *

><p>Arian stepped into the shower after removing her clothes and handing them to one of Sidious' service droids. The droid then stepped out to leave her alone to herself to shower in peace.<p>

Arian felt a certain calmness as she stood in the middle of the shower and looked down at the porcelain floor. She stood for a few moments and began thinking of the silence of the walls around her, comparing it to the noisiness and frenzy that she had endured on her now completed mission. She had liked the excitement that the mission had given her, as she had been so used to and hated how boring her life had previously been on Tatooine. But at the same time she was glad it was over, and could take some time to just relax.

She placed her hand on the shower's knob and turned it to make the hot water flow. She felt herself start to unwind as the warm water flowed over her. Her body wasn't nearly as tired as it usually felt after a day's session of training with Maul, but it was still weary to the extent that she could easily enjoy a nice, hot wash. She leaned herself against the side of the wall and closed her eyes. The wall's coolness mixed with the water's warmth and gave a strange, yet enjoyable feeling to her skin, and she felt her mind ease even more… But she couldn't help but think of all the things that had happened throughout the day.

Arian's thoughts before she had entered the shower had lingered on how strange Maul had reacted before as they had come back to the base. But eventually her thoughts traveled back to what Eath'ahn had told her about the Dathomirians and the Nightsisters. 'The Dathomirians…' Arian tried her best to recall every little bit of information that Eath'ahn had said about the Dathomirians. 'The Dathomirians that he mentioned were called "Nightsisters". The Nightsisters were part of a certain "coven", and the leader of that coven was someone named… Talzin.' She remembered even more information that he had given her. 'The Dathomirians are strong warriors and are highly immersed in the dark side.' Arian thought a little deeper into the things Eath'ahn had said, but soon found that she had completely recollected everything he had mentioned about the Dathomirians. 'If they're witches, does that make me a witch, too?' She wondered. She even remembered that when she had first come to Coruscant with Sidious, that he had mentioned the Nightsisters when he was speaking about Maul… 'I was so caught up in being in a new place rather that only on Tatooine, that I hadn't paid much attention to what he said.' She thought. But one more memory came back to her; the memory that Sidious had also said that all of the Dathomirians, male or female, had many tattoos. She knew of the one, strange tattoo in the middle of her back. While still on Tatooine she had at one point been told by one of the villagers that they noticed a strange marking on her back. She had been able to see it for herself in a reflection of a small bucket of water, but she had no opinion on it since she had no idea where it came from…

Arian relaxed herself more against the side of the wall, repeating all of the information over and over again in her mind. She wanted so bad to know more of her past, why she couldn't remember it, why she was on Tatooine, and why only one tattoo was in the middle of her back. But with the small amount of information that Eath'ahn had given her, it wasn't nearly enough to give her any info regarding her origins.

After seconds more of continuously repeating everything in her mind to no avail of a conclusion being found, Arian felt a sudden deep surge in the Force. Her eyes snapped open and she focused her attention on the feeling, noticing it was close and unable to tell what it was. The feeling didn't seem to travel, but it made her stomach twist and turn. 'What is that?' She wondered.

She finished her showering quickly after the feeling first started and got dressed in her red and black sleeping robes. Even through the time that she got dressed, the feeling never died down nor did it stray away. Her previous thoughts on the Dathomirian's rapidly faded from her thoughts, and she paced fast out of the shower room and headed in the direction of the surge, going against what Sidious had told her; to go to bed after her shower.

* * *

><p>Maul's back slammed hard against the wall of the training room, only a small grunt escaping his lips. But the pain… The pain was excruciating. But he held it in. No matter what, he did not complain. He fell to his hands and knees as his vision blurred and fresh blood dripped from the side of his mouth.<p>

Sidious walked up to him slowly, his hands balled into fists. "I can't believe you let him ESCAPE!" He shouted his last word loudly and brought his hands out in front of his downed apprentice to shock him with powerful bolts of electricity from his fingertips.

Maul squinted his eyes as the deep, searing pain coursed throughout his entire being. He almost had to force himself to not yell out, but because of his heritage making his endurance powerful combined with his years of training, he could handle it better than most other beings ever could. He gripped the sides of his arms harshly to make himself tolerate the pain better, but it felt like no matter what he did it just hurt more and more…

Sidious eventually stopped with the Force lightening and turned his back to Maul, gritting his teeth together in fury. "Not only that, but he saw Arian's face. I told her strictly to not allow anyone to see her identity. Her being known by anyone is a large dilemma, as it interferes with my plans." He turned back around to look at Maul, who was bracing himself against the wall with his head leaned back and panting in agony. "You know for a fact, apprentice, that it is not time for us, the Sith to reveal ourselves. And with Eath'ahn being the type that he is, he will use the information of both you and Arian somehow to his advantage." He stared at his apprentice; who was looking at him with half-lidded, pained eyes, and sensed his thoughts. "You wonder why I punished you instead of Arian?" Sidious asked almost mockingly as he strode over to Maul and leaned down to his level, making their eyes meet at a close range. "It's because YOU are the one who is supposed to be guiding her and are her mentor. YOU are responsible for her actions, therefore if she makes a mistake, YOU are to handle the consequences. Understand, apprentice?"

Maul paused for only a second as he caught his breath and kept his eyes peeled on his Master's. "…Yes, my Master." He said with no hint of pain in his voice.

Arian gripped the side of the metal door as she watched how Sidious treated Maul. 'I never imagined him to be like that…' An eccentric feeling of dismay pounded in her chest as she looked from Sidious and stared at Maul, who was still catching his breath as he laid against the wall. Recent memories flooded back to her at the sight of the one she claimed her Master in such pain. Her memory of when Sidious first took her from Tattoine and allowed her to live with him and Maul on Coruscant, his kindness that he showed to her but didn't seem to show to Maul as much, and his what seemed to be easy going attitude… She felt change towards the perspectives that she once had for him, as she now saw how dark of a person he really was. 'Shouldn't I have expected that, though?' She wondered to herself as she turned around and hid completely behind the wall. 'He and Maul are both Sith Lords, after all…' Different thoughts flooded her mind, and she began to feel confused about everything. 'Was leaving Tatooine a smart choice?' She brought her hand up to her chest and felt her heart beating fast at realization. 'He could easily treat me like that one day…' Her mind paused. 'What am I talking about? Maul's already treated me like that!' Anger started rising in her heart, but it suddenly stopped as she remembered that only a while ago, he had decided to not hurt her although she had screwed up on the mission so badly. '…No, he's not completely like that.' She turned around again when she noticed that neither Maul nor Sidious had spoken in quite a while.

Sidious paced back and forth as he leaned his head down in annoyance and rubbed his wrinkled forehead. He sighed, then spoke. "Get up." He commanded Maul.

Arian watched as Maul stood on command without a second thought, word, or complaint. He did exactly as his Master told him, with no hesitation despite the way he treated him. She stared at her Master's face, and once again he had a completely calm demeanor as he rested his hands at his sides and looked at his own Master respectfully.

'He's so obedient. No matter what, he stays so loyal to him.' Arian thought. 'I at first hated Maul so much. Then after being alone on that planet for over a month, I felt like I just wanted to be around him more than anything and serve him. I still wonder how I can serve him…'

Arian decided that she saw enough and started walking away in the direction that led to her room, making sure to be quiet enough so neither of them would hear her footsteps. 'I know I made the right choice. With Master Sidious being like that or not, I would've had no future on Tattoine. No matter what happens, I'm glad that I made the decision to stay with him and Master Maul. I have a future here…' Her mind went blank as she continued on to her room, then she suddenly started thinking of herself in a new viewpoint. "Wait." She whispered as she stopped. 'Master Sidious was punishing Maul because of me. If I don't want to see him treat him like that, then I need to be sure not to make any more screw-ups.' She started walking again and was very close to her room, but she stopped and looked into it instead of going inside to rest. 'I already made the choice back right before I left that planet that I had survived alone on to not disobey Master Maul and to listen to him. I don't want to… be alone.' She started walking again in a different direction, unknowing of exactly where she was headed. 'But obeying him alone won't do much. I have to prove to him that I'm strong and capable. If I don't he'll continue to get punished.'

As she continued to walk she soon found an area that led out to an open balcony that overlooked Coruscant. She decided to step outside, observing the giant city below her. She had never seen it at night, and she couldn't help but think how beautiful it looked as she leaned against a bronze colored railing and observed the lights and sounds. 'I need to make myself stronger… In both the Force and other abilities. I don't want my Master to suffer because of my mistakes.' She thought. As she relaxed her mind, the thoughts she previously had on what Eath'ahn told her came back to her again, and she thought back and forth between them, and how Master Sidious treated Maul.

* * *

><p>Sidious continued to pace back and forth, comprehending the situation and trying to figure out a means to deal with it. "Someone will have to infiltrate the Jedi temple where Eath'ahn is being held in custody. You, apprentice, despite your skilled abilities to shroud yourself, are not qualified for something as such. The Jedi there are too many, and they would surly sense your dark presence."<p>

Maul watched him still pacing back and forth, unfocused on his still aching body from his Master's discipline. He knew he had to concentrate on finding a way to get to Eath'ahn before he spilled the information he had on himself and Arian.

Sidious stopped and turned to Maul, his hand placed underneath his chin and his eyes fixed to the ground in thought. "Arian has not yet been immersed in the dark side enough to be sensed by the Jedi… She could find her way in, get to Eath'ahn, and execute him before he informs them of us."

Maul kept his unchanging posture. "I mean no disrespect, Master but there is still a problem. She could still be seen physically, even if the Jedi did not sense her through the Force."

Sidious paused, then looked Maul in the eyes. "You are right, apprentice."

Maul continued after noticing another dilemma. "Not only that, Master, but she knows of no skills of infiltration nor of cloaking her presence. She would need training in those areas before even attempting to eliminate Eath'ahn."

Sidious sighed. "That would take some time for her to learn… She would need at least a few days just to learn the basics." He made a long pause, thinking of what to do… Then, he figured out a plan. "As a Senator, I can hold off the Jedi for a while so they won't speak to the Twi'lek. While I do that, you can train her in the skills of infiltration. You can't teach her something like that though in the training room here… You will have to take her to another planet and train her where she will be able to learn in an environment that will more easily guide her."

Maul bowed his head. "Understood, Master. But what about what I said? She will need to somehow make her body invisible to the Jedi."

Sidious, with his many years of wisdom and knowledge, knew of something that would do just that. "After her training take her to Dathomir."

Maul's eyes nearly widened. "Dathomir? Her home planet, and where I was born?"

Sidious looked at him, a little more at ease than before with his plan in his mind. "Yes. You know of the Nightsister leader there; Talzin. You met her during that pirate raid on Tatooine."

"I remember her clearly, Master." Maul explained. "She tried to take me back to Dathomir while I was on Tatooine a few years back, telling me that it was my destiny to serve as a Nightbrother. But I didn't comply, because I serve only you, Master. Her leg got wounded by one of the pirate's guns, and I saved her and she traveled back to Dathomir with whatever other Nightsisters had survived that had come with her."

"Then, she owes you a favor then, does she not?" Sidious smiled unworriedly.

"I suppose she does, Master." Maul quietly answered him, his hands still at his sides.

"That settles it. You will do everything I told you, and no harm will come to my plans." Sidious turned his back to him.

Maul bowed once more. "Understood. Should I take her to train now?"

Sidious started walking off, about to leave the training room. "No. I will go to dress in my senatorial clothes and take leave immedietly to handle my first part of the situation, telling the Jedi that I was informed by a droid that the infamous Eath'ahn was caught, and I will buy time for you to train her. You will take her to start her training when I contact you from there. If I could, I would just go and destroy him myself. But if I did that there would be a great chance of the Jedi finding out and all of my future plans would be ruined. That's why I need Arian to do this."

Maul looked down, remembering something that he hadn't mentioned yet to Lord Sidious.

Sidious sensed his feelings and stopped. "Is there something else, apprentice?"

Maul tilted his head up to look at his Master, again. "In a way… When I was fighting in the tournament, I noticed that more than a few times, Eath'ahn approached her in a very… "close" manner. And every time he did, Arian seemed to freeze up and get an almost intoxicated expression. It only happened when he was physically sensual towards her."

Sidious smirked and closed his eyes, continuing on to leave the training room. "Before you and her sleep, make the first step in her training to not allow such things to affect her. Then add that teaching to her daily regime or as you feel fit so that she will get used to things like that and eventually they will have no effect on her." And with that, he finally left.

Maul bowed his head one last time as Sidious left the room. "Understood."

Maul stood for a minute or so to think to himself after his Master left. He was trying to figure out exactly how he would handle the situation, despite Master Sidious just telling him the plans. He needed to make sure that everything would go exactly as Lord Sidious told him, or else he knew he would fail. After thinking through everything again, he left the room to go and get Arian.

* * *

><p>Maul headed down the corridor that led to Arian's sleeping quarters. But once he got to her room he noticed that it was empty and the door was open, and remembered back that Sidious had just informed Arian that he took the combination lock off her door so she could roam around more freely. It didn't bother him that the lock was taken from her door, because if Master Sidious had allowed it, then it was perfectly fine. And if Arian wasn't in her room, then she would most likely be nearby. He started walking again and in only a few minutes more found Arian standing outside on a balcony; the same balcony that he and Lord Sidious would sometimes go to and speak together.<p>

He was so quiet that Arian hadn't heard him or even sensed his presence. Maul stared at her, observing the way she leaned forward on the balcony railing with her arms crossed and flat against her chest, and her right leg straight and propping her up. Her left leg was relaxed and propped up on the tips of her toes. He wasn't used to seeing her in her sleeping robes alone, and noticed how small she looked compared to how she looked when she was usually dressed in her normal attire. She also seemed slightly shorter from being barefoot…

Arian let out a sigh as she continued to stare up into the sky, her eyes closed halfway. She couldn't help but continue to think of everything that happened in the day, and as she looked more and more at the stars she wondered more to herself about her past.

Maul was about to take a few steps more and call out to get her attention. But he stopped when he remembered how he had reacted earlier when he was driving him and Arian away from Galactic City. '_I was so worried about you…' _He once again repeated Arian's previous words in his mind. He still couldn't figure out exactly why what she said had caused him to refrain from punishing her. All he could tell was that every time he thought out those words, he got a an odd feeling in his chest. A feeling that felt almost sad and tender at the same time.

Trying to force the thoughts from his head, he knew he had more important things to deal with. "Arian." He finally called to her, his voice very calm.

Arian's eyes widened when she heard Maul's voice, and turned around. "…Yes, Master?" She felt her heart skip a beat, unknowing of how she should react after seeing Maul being punished so harshly by Lord Sidious.

Maul walked up to her and stopped to stand beside her at the railing of the balcony. He looked down at her, not with anger or penalization for her screw up on the mission. What was done was done, and there was no need to continue to fret over what happened. It only needed to be fixed. "What are you doing out here?" His question was evenly asked.

Arian placed her hands to grip the railing and looked Maul in the face. 'For some reason, I don't think he's still mad at me… Is he?' She couldn't tell, so she decided to just answer his question. "I've never been out here before. I noticed this open area and I wanted to see it."

Maul nodded, then turned his head to look to the sky.

Arian looked at him although he had turned his stare from her. 'I don't understand. How can he be so calm even after how Master Sidious treated him?' As she looked at his calm demeanor, she realized something. 'That probably isn't the first time he's treated him like that. Master Maul is the strongest person I know, and he wasn't just born like that. Lord Sidious shaped him to be the warrior he is today.' She remembered that before when they had went on the mission to get the credits, she had asked Maul that same question she asked in her mind, and he had told her that everything he knows is derived from Master Sidious' teachings. But when she had asked how long he was living and training under him, he wouldn't answer her. 'Why won't he tell me much about himself?'

Maul could feel Arian's stare on him. He turned his head to look at her. "What is it?"

Arian blushed when he caught her staring at him and turned her gaze away to look at her hands against the railing. "Nothing, Master." She lied.

Maul tilted his head slightly to the side and raised an eye ridge in curiosity. He knew she was looking at him like that for a reason, but he didn't know why. 'No matter. It's not important.'

Silence grew between the two. Maul overlooked the city ahead of him, watching some of the zoomers go by and observing the different buildings and lights with no interest. He was so used to the place, being there for years, after all.

Arian continued to look coyly at her hands. For a while she couldn't make up her mind on if she should tell him that she witnessed Lord Sidious punishing him.

Maul remembered that he came out to talk to her for a reason. He was about to speak, but right before he did, Arian spoke instead.

"Master, about what happened in Galactic City… I…" Arian paused and looked at him. She knew apologizing wouldn't help, but she felt like that's all she could say. "I'm sorry I ruined it."

"Apologizing does nothing." Maul told her. What he said seemed harsh, but his tone of voice said different. "There is no need to worry about what happened in the past. Only correcting your mistake will help."

Arian nodded. "You're right, Master." She looked away from him again and looked into the sky once more. She paused for a brief moment, then said what was partially on her mind. "You wondered why I was out here." She in took a deep breath. "I didn't just want to come out here because of wanting to look at Coruscant at night. I needed time to think to myself about something that's bothering me."

Maul never took his eyes off her. "Explain."

Two things were bothering her. First, she was bothered by the sight of Maul being punished, and second, she continuously thought about all the things Eath'ahn told her about the Dathomirians. She decided to only tell him the half truth. 'He'd probably punish me if I told him what I saw and think I was spying.' After deciding what she'd say and wouldn't say, she spoke. "Master, remember when I first came here and I told you and Master Sidious that I can't remember most of my life except for when I first arrived on Tatooine and after that point?"

Maul stay motionless, but kept his attention on her. "Yes."

"When Eath'ahn knocked me out and took me while you were fighting, he told me some things about the Dathomirians." Arian explained. "He didn't say anything that was really all that important, but…" She knew that most of what Eath'ahn said was in regards to his past, so it wasn't too important to her. The only things she really found important were about the person named "Talzin", and that the Nightsisters are witches. But she knew that because of what Sidious once told her about the Nightsisters, he and Maul both probably knew about them being witches. "But the things he said made me think more about myself."

"And what is it that he made you think?" Maul asked.

"Master, I've always wondered about my past. I know that you and Master Sidious explained to me what Dathomirians are, but just that information alone doesn't explain why I can't remember the rest of my life." Arian observed the stars even more, as if searching for the truth. "There are some things I never told you. Things I think you should know."

"Tell me." Maul couldn't tell if he was curious in what Arian had to say, or if he was just allowing the girl to let out her thoughts.

"Well…" Arian looked at her hands and felt slightly troubled to tell him what she felt. "Every once in a while I have these weird dreams. The dreams are mostly the same, but sometimes they're different, too. But every time I have them, I either get a really sad feeling, or I suddenly wake up from pain or something like it. They don't feel like normal dreams. They feel like they're my mind trying to get me to remember what I can't remember."

Maul paused. "Is there anything else?" He asked. He remembered back when he saw Arian asleep as she was going through her survival test on the desolate planet, he remembered her speaking in her sleep. 'Those might be one of the dreams she's speaking of.'

"Yes, there's something else, too." Arian lifted her loose hair from her neck and brought her hand to point to her middle back. "Master Sidious said that the Dathomirians, male or female, have tattoos. I know that both of you thought that I have none, but there's this one that I have in the middle of my back." She took her hand from her back and set her hands on the railing again and looked down, relaxed.

Maul knew of that single tattoo already from seeing her exposed back when she survived on the planet. But he never told her he saw it, or else he would give away the fact that he had looked after her while she was alone.

"I feel almost… empty." Arian's eyebrows furrowed with a mix of confusion and irritation. "I can't help but wonder why I can't remember my past, why I have only one tattoo, and why I have those dreams. I just-"

"It does not matter." Maul cut her off.

"What doesn't matter?" Arian turned to Maul and looked at him.

"That past. Your past is meaningless." Maul began to explain. "Master Sidious offered you the means to leave Tatooine. He sensed darkness in you, and out of benefit to us he took you in and gave you a future."

Arian felt a little angry at what he said, but she knew that he was right. She looked down, then back up at him.

"You should be thankful to both him and I. Him for taking you, and me for teaching you the means to survive and improve yourself." Maul continued to look at her. "Do not look to the past, but towards the future. You have a future worth more than the past of anyone or anything. A future full of promise and power. Looking to the past will only hold you back, and you will never improve. Now tell me, Arian…" Maul stepped closer to her and leaned down to her level to look her directly in the eyes. "Which is more important to you? The past, or the future?"

Arian thought back to only a few minutes earlier when she was arguing with herself on whether or not she had made the right choice to join Sidious and Maul. She had decided then that she DID make the right choice, but with what Maul now told her, she felt her choice to be even more accurate. "The future is more important." She declared to him.

Maul looked her in the eyes for a few seconds longer and was able to sense that she was telling the truth. "Good." He stood up normally and continued to look at her.

Arian looked up at him as well, waiting to see if he'd say more.

"Now that that conversation is over, there are more important things to discuss right now." Maul continued to look at her.

Arian kept eye contact with him and turned her body to face him and show that she was entirely attentive.

Maul placed his hands behind his back. "Because of what happened, Eath'ahn escaped with the knowledge of us. If he tells the Jedi that the Sith are alive… you know what the consequences will be. Master Sidious informed me that you must correct your mistake, Arian. You had apologized before, but I told you it wasn't enough."

"What can I do? Tell me, Master." Arian looked at him seriously.

"Master Sidious needs you to infiltrate the Jedi base where Eath'ahn is being held." Maul crossed his arms. "But I have not yet taught you any infiltration skills. We need time to train you properly, even if it is just for a few days. You know that Lord Sidious is in the senate, Arian. He just left to where Eath'ahn will be taken so he can buy us some time to train. But he told me to not even start your training until he gives the order."

Arian sighed with concern. 'I need to infiltrate the Jedi temple?!' She yelled in her mind. Then, she spoke softly. "What would I do once I infiltrate it?"

"You will assassinate Eath'ahn." Maul continued to look at her with his arms crossed. "He is of no use now. We got the credits, but he learned of the survival of the Sith. He is more of a threat than anything. He must be eliminated at all costs."

"I understand." Arian sighed. She knew she had to correct her mistake, but she had never done something so dangerous before. But she wanted more than anything to prove her merit. "I will do as you tell me, Master. But what do we do in the meantime before I start that training?"

Maul turned from her and set his arms to his sides and started walking back inside the building. "We rest and wait for Master Sidious' commands. Come."

Arian took one more look out at Coruscant. 'The future…' She thought to herself, then followed Maul.

Maul continued to walk, heading to Arian's bedroom. "There is one more thing I need to speak to you about." He told Arian from behind as he stood in front of her bedroom. He hadn't forgotten that he had to show Arian not to react to a person's physical touch the way she had during the tournament.

"Yes, Master?" Arian asked, stopping and standing beside him.

Maul looked at her and tilted his head towards her room. "Go inside, first."

Arian didn't understand what he was trying to get her to do. But she did as he said, and walked into her room, about to sit on the bed.

"Stop. Don't sit. Just stand and don't move." Maul commanded her with a harsh voice and slowly walked up to her from behind.

Suddenly, Arian felt a pair of warm hands touch her shoulders, making her freeze up and tense.

Maul easily noticed the abrupt change in her behavior. 'Again, she's reacting the way she did when Eath'ahn touched her.' He slid his hands down her arms and brought his mouth to her neck. "I noticed something, Arian."

Arian closed her eyes and sighed out a breathy moan. 'Why is he…?' Her heart started beating fast. "Mas…ter…?" She whispered questioningly.

"You tense up when a male is… close to you like this." Maul glided his hand down to Arian's thigh, brushing against the hem of her sleeping robe. Once he touched it, the dream he had of her suddenly flooded his thoughts. The thoughts were unwanted, and he also thought of all the times that Eath'ahn touched her and how it had made him upset inside. He grit his teeth. 'Why that feeling and memory of that dream? Why now when I'm testing her?' For a second, he got the feeling like she was testing him. Forcing himself to get his mind back on track, he spoke again. "At the tournament you tensed when Eath'ahn was doing things like this towards you."

Arian swallowed and remembered back to how she felt when Maul had trained her the first time with the lightsaber. And suddenly, she couldn't get the image out of her mind of when Maul's torso was unclothed. All of the same feelings and memories came back to her of how she felt. 'The warmth of his skin, the scent of him… His touch.' She closed her eyes and parted her lips. "He wasn't like this… Not like this…" She whispered and repeated. She had told herself that night that it was wrong to feel like that, especially towards him. But the way his was touching her made her feel so… She just couldn't bring herself away.

Maul felt annoyance arise within him. He had come to teach her to not react to such approaches. But he couldn't help but find even himself to… enjoy it. Quickly, he stopped and stood straight.

Arian felt his hands leave her and she heard him emit a small growl. She felt even more confused. 'What was he trying to do?'

"Reacting the way you just did makes you weak." Maul's look turned to a more angered one. "Look at me."

Arian was still blushing. She tried to force herself to not blush as she turned around, but couldn't make the blush go away completely. Once she faced him, she avoided eye contact with him and looked a little worried.

"If you are in a situation where a male treats you like that, you can and will be taken advantage of, or even killed. You cannot allow menial things like that to affect you. It is only a touch. Nothing more." Maul explained to her, somewhat irritated. 'If it's only that then why does it also make me feel… strange?'

Arian thought for a moment. "Yes…" Her voice was tiny from how she still felt. But she did understand what he meant, for it did play a small role in her messing up on the mission.

Maul sighed. He could tell that it was still affecting her. "If you fully understand what I mean, then show me."

Arian closed her eyes. She still felt her face was red. "I understand, Master!" She said more loudly, but was still embarrassed and tense.

Maul shook his head. He knew that it still had too much affect on her. "Through time and my teachings, you'll learn that it's not something that should affect you." He turned around, heading out the door. "Just get your sleep for now. I'll inform you of what we should do in the morning."

Arian opened her eyes and watched him leave. He turned off the light and the door shut behind him. She collapsed on her bed and let out an embarrassed sigh. 'I can't believe I just acted like that and he noticed it…' She touched the side of her leg, still able to almost feel his hand on her thigh. 'I can't help it but I…' She smiled to herself. 'I enjoy it when he's close to me. I shouldn't feel like this, but it's not the first time I felt this way toward him.' She noticed that he hadn't said even a word to her regarding Master Sidious disciplining him. A new feeling starting growing within her, and she thought deeper into her feelings for him. Not only did she find him physically attractive, but she did care about his wellbeing, too. That, plus the fact that she felt like she needed to get stronger not only for herself, but for him as well. The loyal feeling she had to serve him only seemed to grow more and more everyday…

Arian turned over on her side and put one hand underneath her head to rest herself more comfortably. As she stared around in the darkness of her room, she thought of him more, the same way she did that night after he taught her to use a lightsaber. Except now, she thought of something else. She noticed that he barely would speak to her, especially if it regarded his past or how he felt. He would only talk to her if it involved her training or something of that manner. 'I wish he'd be a little more open with me.' She thought as she remembered how sad he looked when he had frozen up and decided not to strike her as they had been leaving Galactic City. She still wondered why he did that, and couldn't bring herself to understand why.

The only thing Arian could really tell was that she wanted to improve herself. 'Maybe if I do that, he'll have less things to worry about.' She thought of him training her, then randomly of how he touched her just now. It felt so strange… His hand on her thigh like that. 'He said I shouldn't react like that. He's right.' She touched again where he had touched her, noticing that her sleeping robe had ridden up and felt shorter. 'It feels almost as short as my normal clothing.' She thought. Then she blushed again. 'Now I feel like I need to wear different clothes during the day so that things like that won't happen.' She turned on her back and rested her hands on her chest. 'Maybe I'll do that. I'm getting bored of that outfit, anyway. I'll have the droid making something a little more practical for me tomorrow. Something with pants instead of a dress.'

Arian was about to close her eyes and fall asleep, but she remembered that she could now leave her room whenever she felt like it. "I could just have the droid do it, now. It could be done with it by the morning, and I'll just wear that instead of changing." She stood from her bed and found her way through the dark to her door and opened it with ease. She couldn't help but smile, thanking Master Sidious in her mind that he had removed the keypad that locked the door.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! This chapter took me a painstakingly long amount of time to write… I know that it probably feels a little different or "off" compared to the rest of the story, but I got a little confused as I wrote it. Right now, I'm working on summaries for each chapter so I can go back and look at what I previously wrote without getting confused as I write new chapters, but it's taking a very long time to complete them. Once I finish them, I'll write a new chapter and post it up. I just don't want myself to get confused. I know a lot of you like this fanfic, and like I said before, I'm trying my best to make it even better. Now please, LEAVE LOTS OF REVIEWS! ^_^<strong>

**.P.S Remember when I told you guys that I want to make a doujin of this fanfic? Well if you want to see a picture on how it would look if I DID make a doujin, then go to my deviant art page and look at my new picture I drew called, "I look at her and I…". I hope you guys enjoy the picture!**


	24. Chapter 24: Standpoint

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran, Celeste, Ker-an-ten…) **

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 24: Standpoint

Maul awoke early in the morning, though he hadn't slept well at all during the night. His mind was occupied with Master Sidious' plans to eradicate Eath'ahn, and throughout the night he dreamed of what he should do and how he should train Arian. But despite the dreams and the few times he had awoken, he felt rested enough. After leaving his sleeping mat and getting fully clothed, he went to get Arian. Lord Sidious had already left their base during the night, and so he was alone again with Arian, awaiting for Master Sidious' orders to train her in the arts of infiltration.

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><p>Arian still slept soundly. During the night after she had ordered one of the droids to create a new and more suitable attire for her, she had headed to bed. As she had slept the droid quietly put her new clothes into her closet so she could wear them when she woke up.<p>

Maul entered her room. For some reason he felt more calm at the moment as he saw her sleep. "Arian." His voice was more gentle than usual. "Wake up."

Arian opened her eyes very slowly, her sleepiness still effecting her vaguely. She turned her head to the side and looked at Maul, then sat up and yawned, staying silent to await his orders.

Maul held his arms at his sides. "Today will be like any regular day of training. And it will stay that way until Lord Sidious gives us the command for our next move."

Arian nodded her head once, showing that she was listening. "Yes, Master." Her voice was a little groggy from just waking up. She looked at her bare toes then at him and remembered that she had ordered the droid to make her new clothes. "I'll get dressed."

Maul darted his yellow eyes at her up and down. "Very well." He said still calm, and turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him to leave Arian to dress.

Arian smiled to herself and she stepped from the bed and went to her closet. She was excited to see how the droid did on the new clothes, hoping that it had done everything correctly how she had told it. Placing her hand on the door, she opened it and grinned happily at what she saw.

A few minutes passed as Maul leaned against the wall near the door, waiting for Arian to finish. Curiosity aroused his sense as he noticed that Arian's dressing time seemed to take longer than usual. "Hasten your dressing." He told her calmly through the obstruction of the door.

"I'm finishing, now." Arian spoke to him with hurriedness in her voice.

Maul moved from his leaning position and turned to stand in front of and face the door, crossing his arms. Still, he continued to wait, but had a feeling that she was being honest and was nearly done.

Arian opened the door and her eyes met with Maul's as he looked down at her.

"What took you so lo-" Maul's question to her stopped as he looked at her new attire.

Arian's new outfit consisted of a pair of black colored tight pants with one belt on the upper part of her right thigh and another one on the bottom of her left thigh and the pants were tucked into two grey and black boots with small heels. On her waist was a singular belt which seemed to be both fastened and intermingled directly onto the pants and it held a long loose black garment that ran in front of her crotch and another one behind her which was the same length but larger in width. The garment looked very similar to how the drapes on Maul's belt did on his pants, which Arian had wanted to mimic specifically. Her torso adorned a tight, black corset with two large straps to hold it on her shoulders, and three alike belts across the stomach. Beneath the corset was a long sleeved skin tight shirt which started at the ends of her shoulders and ended at her wrists. And on her wrists were two black gauntlets with three silver straps going from the end, middle, and top of both of the gloves, and attached to the gauntlets were black gloves that fully covered her hands and fingers. The last thing that Maul noticed was that Arian's hair was now completely loose instead of tied back, the hair draping absolutely straight in front of her ears and down to her waist, and the back of her hair down and past her hips, reaching the middle of her thighs.

Arian noticed Maul's stare on her seemed to be long and almost confused. Unable to tell what he was thinking, she turned her eyes from him, embarrassed.

Maul blinked and turned from Arian. "Your attire seems more appropriate and suitable, now." He couldn't help but think in the back of his mind that Arian's new appearance made her seem and look a little more… mature. But that was a good thing, so he didn't feel the need to protest against her.

Arian closed her eyes halfway and softly smirked, glad of her Master's approval of her new apparel.

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><p>About three hours passed. Maul had done what he said; so far training Arian like any other regular day. Up to now they had only trained their arts of the Force and their fighting capabilities, and Maul didn't stress Arian the way he usually would. Right now the training was just a way to pass time until Master Sidious' orders to start Arian's training in infiltration.<p>

Though he wasn't as tough on the girl at the moment, Maul felt something different as he trained her. She seemed more focused. For a second he thought that she was more focused because of what Sidious had told him earlier back when he made his observation of her. Then again, this felt different from then… But he felt no need to complain as Arian being more focused would make his training of her easier for him and Sidious would not have to punish him if Arian were to not make anymore mistakes.

Arian and Maul sat down next to each other and crossed their legs, getting into another routine of their standard meditation session. Arian sighed once and closed her eyes.

Maul looked at her from the side, seeing the relaxation on her face. "You are ready and more relaxed?" He decided to ask her to see what she'd say.

Arian nodded without opening her eyes and tenderly whispered, "Yeah…"

"Hm." Maul only complied to tell her he heard her and closed his eyes as well to start relaxing. 'Where…' He started thinking instead of calming his mind. 'Where can I train her? What planet could she possibly learn infiltration abilities?' It wasn't exactly where Arian learned to infiltrate that he was worried about. It was the time… Arian would only have a few days to learn such drastic skills and time was not on their side. At any time, Eath'ahn could tell the Jedi about the survival of the Sith. Arian would need to learn quickly, or they would run out of time before Eath'ahn decides to use the information to his advantage…

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><p>"Senator Palpatine took Eath'ahn directly into questioning after we brought him to the temple last night, Master. What do you suppose he's asking him right now?" Celeste took a sip of her herbal tea as she questioned Ker-an-ten, who was sitting across from her looking out the side of the glass window from the diner.<p>

Ker-an-ten turned his attention to his younger padawan after staring outside for only a second or so longer. "More than likely he's speaking with him about the illegal tournaments he's held throughout most if his life, including the ones that his father held before his death." The Cerean crossed his arms and continued to look at Celeste. "The senator is probably going to take a while speaking to him. There are years and years of cases and evidence piled up on Eath'ahn's record. It could take weeks before a trial is even held."

Celeste raised her white eyebrows and sighed. "I don't understand why the senate doesn't want the Jedi involved with this case. We were the ones that initially sensed the disturbance and finally brought Eath'ahn into custody. We should be more involved than the Republic alone." She pouted.

Ker-an-ten could hear the irritation in his padawan's voice and see it on her face. "Be patient, Celeste." Of course he understood her reasons for her annoyance. Celeste knew she was a smart and capable Jedi padawan. Ever since being discovered due to her strong connection with the Force on her home planet Quarzite, Celeste has served the Jedi order loyaly, spending any free time she would have to honing her skills and capabilities. The girl felt like she deserved more respect than this... "If senator Palpatine needs our assistance or the help of any other Jedi, he'll tell us."

Celeste decided to nod and agree with her Master, despite feeling the opposite. She didn't concur entirely with Ker-an-ten's patience, still feeling like she should be doing more than just sitting and waiting...

Ker-an-ten took one last look at Celeste, still sensing her disappointment. But he felt that through time she would learn. He had faith in her. He closed his eyes and relaxed.

Celeste glanced up and saw her Master relax, then turned to look outside. From afar, the Jedi temple was perfectly visible from the close district the diner was in that they were lounging at. But the usual calmness that Celeste would feel when she stared at the grand temple felt out of place, and for some reason, something just felt... wrong.

* * *

><p>Over night, Senator Palpatine and two royal guards transported Eath'ahn from the Jedi temple to a holding cell not to far from the temple. Handcuffed and sitting, the Twi'lek sat and stared smugly into Palpatine's old eyes. It was near afternoon time now, and Palpatine found it best to now speak with the famous and wealthy man. Before, Eath'ahn had only been sitting in the cell, silent and waiting. Senator Palpatine was one of the first people to actually interrogate him. He didn't count the two Jedi that had arrested him, since they were only allowed to take him in and not actually speak to him themselves.<p>

"Am I really such a threat that the Senator Palpatine himself must come and speak with me?" Eath'ahn gloated only to amuse himself. He felt nearly one-hundred percent protected with the information he knew about the Sith. But he wouldn't say anything until he felt the time was perfect... This way, he could gain immunity and maybe much more... "My reputation proceeds me, does it not, Senator?" He grinned.

Palpatine was not affected in even the slightest bit by Eath'ahn's sly attitude. "Your reputation is quite..." He clasped his hands together, his fingers intertwining. "...astounding." He sat himself even more straight and looked at Eath'ahn with a blank face. "Eath'ahn. The man whom held illegal tournaments throughout the Galaxy. The man who's fighters supposedly never lost a battle. One of the most wealthiest people alive, but only due to living off of the blood money from the losses, deaths, and gambles of others."

Eath'ahn only chuckled.

Palpatine smiled slyly to himself. "You follow in your father's footsteps. The only difference is that he was killed by a Dathomirian and you-"

Eath'ahn's smirk suddenly turned into an infuriated scowl.

"-Were not. Instead you were captured by the Jedi." Palpatine continued with a smirk.

Eath'ahn looked down at the table in front of him, still scowling. Because of what Palpatine said, he began thinking back to his father's death at the hands of the Dathomirians and then to the girl at the tournament. He would never forget her name... Arian. He hated her right now just as much as he hated all of those witches...

Palpatine didn't take his gaze off the Twi'lek, more than easily sensing his hate. It made him want to smile. Of course he wouldn't, needing to keep up his disguise as a regular Senator; which he had been doing for many years now. "Do you have anything to say about the charges against you?" He asked, inwardly smirking. He knew how Eath'ahn would act now because of the mentioning of his father.

Eath'ahn was too occupied by his hateful thoughts that he didn't exactly hear what the Senator had asked him.

Palpatine stood from his seat and turned after minutes of silence passed. Nothing he could say now would get Eath'ahn to budge. Well, he wanted to make it seem that way to the guards. So far, his plan was working. He was setting up Eath'ahn into a trap to buy his apprentice and Arian more time, making it seem like the man was unwilling to speak of his charges. "I believe that is enough for now." He told the royal guards as he walked up to the entrance of the cell.

The guards nodded silently and opened the cell door for Palpatine. With no rush he stepped out and turned to the guards. "I will come later on in the week to speak more to Eath'ahn. For now I must read through the documents on his history and offenses and fill out paperwork in order to even think of beginning a trial. In the meantime, do not allow anyone, including the Jedi, to speak to him unless I give the say to allow so."

The guards nodded in compliance and said, "Yes, Senator."

Palpatine turned without another word or even looking back at Eath'ahn and slowly headed out of the door. He made his way down an empty corridor lit with dim lights and sensed that no one was even near him and knew that there were no cameras in the area to record him. Placing his hand on the opposite sleeve and easing it up his wrist, he revealed a hidden comlink and turned it on.

* * *

><p>Maul and Arian continued to sit and meditate. Maul was still focusing on where he should train Arian, eventually thinking up something but he would only take her to the place if his Master allowed it. Arian was in a deep trance, but her meditation was interrupted on an abrupt feeling she suddenly sensed.<p>

Arian opened her eyes and lightly turned her head towards Maul. "Master, I sense Lord Sidious." She told him, her voice a little quiet from just coming out of her trance.

Maul snapped from his thoughts and looked at her. "What do you-?" Before he could continue asking Arian his question he heard an incoming signal from his comlink. He paused for only a second as he looked Arian in the eyes, to see her still staring at him with a blank face and her eyes a little wide.

Arian heard the comlink's signal but said nothing.

Maul still looked at Arian, nearly smirking from seeing that her senses and connection with the Force had much improved since she had sensed Sidious' comlink transmission even before he had. Before answering his Master, he stood up and turned around, facing away from her. "Yes, Master?" He asked politely as Sidious appeared before him as a blue, translucent hologram.

"Mmmph..." Arian glowered a little from Maul turning his back to her and speaking to Sidious without involving her.

"My part is done for now." Sidious sounded a little scratchy over the comlink. "I bought you and Arian some time to train her."

Arian stood up once she heard Sidious say her name and walked up to Maul, standing beside him.

Maul looked down at her, then back at Sidious.

"Arian, after we finish this call, Maul and you will go to another place to train you in infiltration."

Arian continued to look at Sidious, feeling a little... different towards him after seeing the previous night how he treated Maul. But she made a promise to herself and to Maul to only think of the future now and not the past. But still... She felt there would always be some uneasiness between her views on Sidious. "Yes, Master." She said, nodding her head once.

"Master, I've thought of where to train her. But I require your permission first." Maul calmly asked, not looking at Arian even once.

"Tell me what you have in mind." Sidious placed one hand behind his back.

"If Arian is to go there anyway to get a treatment to become temporarily near-invisible, then I thought that she might as well go there to train as well. The people there are very skilled in stealth, and I believe they would be perfect to teach her in a small amount of time." Maul explained.

Sidious paused for a moment, then spoke. "Very well. you are correct in your decision, apprentice. You will take her there now to train and to get her the treatment as well. I will call you again once I can no longer hold off Eath'ahn."

Arian looked at Maul in pure curiosity. 'Where is he taking me?'

Maul bowed his head calmly and closed his eyes. "Yes, Master."

Sidious shut off the comlink signal.

Maul opened his eyes, put his comlink away, and quickly started walking off into the direction of the exit if the meditation room. "You heard him. We leave, now."

Arian, still curious, stood still and looked at Maul as he exited. "W-wait!" She followed after him hurriedly when she saw that he wasn't going to wait for her.

Maul stopped right before leaving the exit and put his hand out, using the Force to grab Arian's lightsaber which was set down neatly on the floor.

Arian stopped, nearly running into him as he abruptly turned to her and held her lightsaber in front of her.

"Take it and put it away somewhere on you."

Arian slowly took the lightsaber from him, feeling rushed and confused, and placed it behind her back on a strap she could attach it to.

Maul started walking again once the lightsaber was now in Arian's hands and Arian followed him.

* * *

><p>"Master. Where are we going?!" Arian had been asking Maul over and over for the past few minutes as they finally made their way to the hanger bay and started their way up to Scimitar.<p>

Maul growled in annoyance and eventually gave into Arian's demands to know where they were going. She would find out once there anyway, so he might as well tell her now to at least shut her up... He turned around, bent to her level, and looked her in the eyes. "Dathomir."

Arian gasped and stopped, feeling her heart suddenly race at what Maul told her. "Datho...mir..." Was all she could muster to say.

Maul's eyes darted, observing the expression on her face. He sensed immediately that she was more than just surprised. He turned and kept going up the ramp.

Arian looked down before following him inside and thought back again to her questions about her past, the things Eath'ahn told her about the Nightsisters, and Talzin. She felt that this was finally her chance to learn about herself and where she came from...

...But she also remembered her promise to Maul to only look to the future that she made only the night before.

"Get inside." Maul commanded her in a harsher tone to try and snap her out of her thoughts.

Arian swallowed once and slowly stepped inside, her heart still racing.

Maul started Scimitar and soon left the hanger, not looking at Arian again. But he could sense her inner turmoil; the essence of her thoughts and feelings filling the room.

And he knew that the girl was being haunted by the questions of her past...

Gripping the steering on Scimitar, Maul only kept onto his destination of Dathomir without another thought of Arian's feelings.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I need more reviews, please... YES. I FINALLY UPDATED. I am still continuing this story, and I've thought up many great ideas for it while I was not writing. So, expect more chapters in the near future! Thanks! :D<strong>


	25. Chapter 25: Assessment of feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran, Celeste, Ker-an-ten)

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 25: Assessment of feelings

Arian looked out the window of Scimitar, harshly gripping the sill. Her and Maul had just dropped out of hyperspace and the planet Dathomir was clearly visible ahead of them. Arian found it hard to breathe as she looked at the planet, observing its natural blood-red hue. 'This is... My home planet.' She thought as she swallowed hard. She wanted so bad to speak to Talzin and ask her so many questions about herself, questions that she's wondered ever since she found herself on Tatooine... But she was conflicted; torn between those thoughts and her promise to Maul.

Maul said nothing to Arian throughout their travel to Dathomir. He knew what she was thinking and feeling... He could tell by her silence and composure. But because of their talk that they had last night, he felt he could trust her to not do anything stupid in the small amount of time they would be staying on Dathomir. She had changed a lot in the past few months, enough for him to feel like he wouldn't have to worry about her making any dumb decisions. But he would keep a close eye on her, just in case. And if anything DID happen, he would apprehend her.

The two soon broke through Dathomir's foggy atmosphere. Arian looked at the trees as they drove by, noticing large sack-like cocoons hanging from them. Maul continued to pilot close to the ground, dodging old, broken trees and soon found an appropriate spot to land in a small open area. Little did Arian know, they were being watched... But Maul already knew that through the feeling of the Force.

Maul got up from his seat without hesitation and opened Scimitar's entrance. He saw Arian, who was now turned around and facing him, and looked at her. He could see the confusion and want for answers in her eyes, but also the loyalty she had so far grown for him. So, he still decided to trust her. For now. "We are going now to the village in which the Nightsisters reside. They already know we are here, and they're watching us with their weapons at hand. Arian, DO NOT make any sudden movements outside and stay close to me. They will eventually show themselves to us as we head closer to their village."

Arian looked down once and thought to herself about her feelings, then went over to Maul's side and stood next to him.

Maul looked down at Arian. "Ready?" He asked, slightly concerned with what she was feeling.

Arian hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head "yes". She didn't feel much like talking...

Maul lightly placed his hand against Arian's back to get her to stay next to him and began walking.

Arian jumped a little, flinching again from Maul's touch. It alerted her because she was lost in her thoughts and because she still was not used to being touched by a male in any sensual or gentle way, especially by him.

Maul noticed that Arian flinched again like she had before from his touch. But now was not the time to deal with that. He would continue to teach her more later in the evening like he had the previous night, and eventually she would learn that those things cannot effect her.

And so, they took a few more steps and were soon outside.

Arian and Maul stopped once they set foot on the ground. Maul looked around at the area, able to catch glimpses of some of the Nightsisters that were hiding in the tree tops. He knew that the Nightsisters thought that he didn't see them, but he knew perfectly well of their presence. Meanwhile, Arian also observed her surroundings, thinking that if she kept looking at the place that was supposed to be familiar, she would maybe remember something about her past... But no matter how much she looked, nothing came to mind. Not a trace or even a hint of feeling or memory came to her. And it made her feel frustrated... But she kept that feeling inside, not wanting to disappoint her Master.

"This way should lead to their village." Maul told Arian as he turned to the right. "Let's go."

Arian swallowed her emotions, trying her best to snap herself from the feeling. "Okay." She finally said something and turned to Maul, and they both started walking side by side in the direction that he said.

After a few minutes of walking, Maul sensed that the Nightsisters were about the come at them. But he continued on his way, making them think he didn't know they were there. And suddenly, they all jumped down at once.

Arian backed up slightly from surprise. Maul had told her that the Nightsisters were there, but she was still surprised from their sudden entrance...

The Nightsisters stood up after their fall and pointed their weapons directly at the Zabrak and the girl; which were bows and with beams of light as arrows, but some of them held daggers as well.

"We don't like strangers..." A Nightsister with a red cowl covering her head and mouth said. All of them were dressed in red, but some chose to hide their faces except for their eyes. This particular one pointed her weapon at the Zabrak, then at the girl. Maul only tilted his head, but Arian acted a little more nervous; staring at the Nightsister with slightly fearful eyes and backing closer to Maul's side. Arian didn't exactly feel... Scared. She wasn't easily scared by anything. It was just the whole situation and her mix of feelings making her act confused.

"We only need to see Talzin right now." Maul told them in an assuring voice.

Arian continued to stare at the Nightsister, her eyes fixed on hers. She felt like she was looking at herself... At her past. 'They all look like me...' She thought. The only difference was the tattoos on their faces.

Maul noticed the Nightsister and Arian particularly staring at each other.

The Nightsister continued to look at the girl, a very familiar feeling coming over her. One of her comrades noticed her long pause, finding it strange because she usually would've given the order to kill by now. "What are you waiting for?" She asked her.

The Nightsister told her comrade nothing as she continued to look at the girl, the feeling of familia rarity growing stronger. And once she finally noticed who the girl was, she dropped her weapon in utter shock. "Is it... Really you?" Her voice nearly trembled.

The Nightsister's all stopped, pointed their weapons down, and began whispering. "It's her?" "I didn't think she'd ever come back..." "She's grown so much..."

Arian heard some of the things they said, and swallowed hard. She felt her voice nearly quivering, finding it even harder now to contain herself. But she had to... She had to for Maul. "Are you... Talzin?"

The Nightsister did not answer her, and looked up when she saw a person floating behind the girl.

"Child..." The woman behind the girl said in an eccentric accent. She touched ground and stood, looking at the girl and the Zabrak from behind.

Maul turned around and looked at the woman. Immediately, he recognized her. "Talzin." He said.

Arian turned and looked at her as well, amazed by her appearance. She was very tall and thin. Her head looked irregularly elongated and she wore red robes that looked more noble than the attire of the other Nightsisters.

Talzin stared and smiled at the girl in a very gentle and sweet way.

When Arian looked at her she got a feeling of parental, motherly love. 'I've never felt this...' She thought and felt almost nostalgic as she looked more at Talzin. But still, no memory of the woman came to her.

Maul sensed Arian's feelings and decided to speak to try and get her attention away from her feelings. "You owe me a favor."

The Nightsisters got irritated and angry at the Zabrak's disrespect to their leader.

Talzin smiled once more at the girl and looked at the Zabrak. "I do, Maul. You saved me that day, and I shall return your favor. Even if not for what you had done, I would still help you both." She looked at the girl once more, then at Maul again. "You and Arian are both children of Dathomir."

Arian looked down, feeling even more longing. It was true... Talzin knew who she was. Surely she knew of her past... But should she ask her? Should she break her promise to Maul? She didn't know what to do...

Maul looked at Arian from the side, happy with her choice to keep silent and not speak of her feelings. Then he looked at Talzin again. "I came here for-"

Talzin brought her hand up slowly and respectfully to silence him. "I know why you are both here. You want to teach Arian ways of stealth in a short amount of time. Then you want us to make her near invisible to most so that you may complete the task your Master has given you."

Maul smirked. "Exactly."

Talzin took one more look at Arian and progressed on by walking towards her village. "Very well. Come."

The Nightsisters walked with Talzin, following her orders.

Maul stayed behind for a while with Arian when he saw that she wouldn't budge. Quickly and harshly, he slapped his hand down on her shoulder to get her attention and break her from her thoughts.

Arian gasped at the suddenness and promptly looked at Maul.

Maul stared down at Arian with a disciplined and almost threatening look, silently telling her to not speak of her questions of her past. "Let's go. NOW." He commanded her in a strict tone.

Arian looked at him almost sadly and nodded her head. After that they finally started walking, following Talzin. Maul kept a firm grip on her shoulder the entire time, letting her know that he was paying attention to every move she would make.

* * *

><p>After a couple of minutes of walking, Maul and Arian finally entered the Nightsister's village. Arian looked up, amazed by the ancient and tribal-like sculpture that was the entrance to their village. The village also, instead of being outside, was in an enormous cave, and only females were inside. Arian didn't see even one male when she went in, and wondered why there were none. She had originally thought that the male Dathomirian-Zabrak's would be living in the same place, and wondered where they were. Maybe they were in the huts that were inside? Maybe there weren't any at all. But that didn't make any sense... If there were no males at all, then how come Maul is a Dathomirian and she could see young female Dathomiri children playing inside? They needed males to procreate at least...<p>

Arian looked at a Nightsister ahead of her and decided to ask about it. "Why aren't there any males here like Maul?"

Maul looked at Arian, finding her question alright for her to ask.

The Nightsister knew of Arian's memory loss. So, she knew that she would wonder about the males... Actually, they all knew of her lost memory... "The males here, which are called Nightbrothers, reside on the far side of Dathomir." She answered.

"Why don't they live here?" She asked, for some reason getting a sudden small pain in her back when she thought and asked more about them.

Talzin overheard her. "I do not allow it. Our God spoke to me and gave me great powers of the dark side. When he made me a shaman and leader of the clan, I had the males moved to the other side of Dathomir. They are subservient to us, and used only for work, procreation or as worriers. They have always been used for such things and that shall always be their destiny. But there are some males who's destiny and paths are special... And different."

Arian looked over at Maul, comparing what Talzin said to him. 'Then it was his destiny to not be a Nightbrother, I guess...'

Maul looked back at her with warning eyes, practically saying, 'Don't ask anything else for now.'

Arian took the hint and chose to not ask Talzin anything else for the time being.

A few minutes passed and Talzin told the Nightsisters that were following her to go and leave her, Maul and Arian be for now, and that she would speak to them again once she needed them. The Nightsisters bowed their heads once and left in a group. After that, Talzin continued to lead Arian and Maul around the place with her. Arian wasn't sure where Talzin was taking them, but Maul had an idea of what she was doing.

Talzin stopped at a door and turned towards Arian and Maul. "Arian, this is where you can rest for the while you will be staying. Maul, I will get you a separate-"

"That won't be necessary." Maul cut her off.

Arian looked at Maul in confusion. 'Then where will he sleep?'

"Arian and I will be sharing a room." He continued.

"...What?!" Arian was taken back by what he said. She would be sharing a room... With him? "But that means..."

Maul stood in front of Arian, in-between her and Talzin, and began whispering to her. "You didn't think I forgot what I told you yesterday, do you? By doing this it will help you to learn more self-control when it comes to a male's physical touch. And not only that, but I will be sure to keep you in my sight at all times, including at night. You will stay out of more trouble that way..."

Arian looked at Maul and blushed, at the same time looking at him a little angrily... She hadn't gotten angry with him in quite a while, but what he said made her a little... Irritated. Still, she felt her loyalty to him to still be strong. She just didn't like that he wouldn't trust her. But she couldn't blame him. She's the reason why they had to come to Dathomir in the first place and worry about Eath'ahn spilling information about the Sith.

But after thinking about it more, she admittedly liked the idea of being close to him again. She knew she shouldn't think of things like that towards him, but she just enjoyed the thought of him sleeping next to her like that... She looked down and nodded in compliance to his words.

Maul got out of Arian's way and looked at Talzin.

"Hmm. Very well. You both shall rest here." Talzin nodded her head.

Everyone paused for a second. Arian wondered what was going to happen next, then Maul spoke. "I believe the introductories are over. As you know, I only brought Arian here to be trained in the arts of stealth. That is all we require, so I believe it would be appropriate to start her training now."

Talzin smirked. "The two strongest warriors of our clan, Karis and Naa'leth, will train her. If it is fine with you, Maul, it would be better if they train her without your interference."

Arian's eyes widened. She was surprised very much by Talzin's straightforward commands! No one so far had spoken to Maul like that without suffering some sort of consequence. Well, besides their Master, Sidious. And she was sure of that from personal experience.

Maul knew that Talzin was wise enough to not say such demands without reason, but he still wanted to know why... "Why should I not interfere, Talzin?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"You want her to learn quickly, yes? You brought her here for us to train her, knowing that we would be the best choice in teaching her stealth. She would only be distracted if you try to teach her. Let us teach her our way, and she will learn quickly." Talzin explained calmly.

Maul thought for a second, realizing that Talzin was right. Then again, she might be up to something. He could tell already by how Talzin and the other Nightsisters acted that they knew Arian perfectly well and that they could tell Arian of her past. And he didn't want that... Like he had explained to her the night before. "Fine. Train her your way. But I will watch every time that they train her and make sure that her training stays within... Boundaries." He added, making sure Talzin knew what he meant.

Talzin respectfully bowed her head at him. "Of course, Maul. Come, we shall go outside and her training may begin." She started walking off.

Arian looked at Maul, and he looked back at her. Arian sill felt strange, coming to her home world and all... But for her benefit and for her Master, she found the strength to focus for now on her training. She would need to learn fast... But still, questions of her past crossed her mind... She looked away from her Master and started walking, following Talzin. Maul stayed behind for just a bit, watching her movement. And he didn't exactly know what to think of her. Right now, it was hard to read her feelings and thoughts. All he could tell was that she seemed conflicted with herself, yet at the same time focused on the mission ahead. But like he told himself before, if anything were to happen, he would easily deal with her.

* * *

><p>"Is Senator Palpatine here?" Celeste came through the door, asking quickly to the Jedi Masters. Yoda, Windu, Eeth'koth, and other members of the Jedi order sat in their chairs, all in a half circle, as they discussed matters of crime and the recent capture of Eath'ahn. "The senator just left a few minutes ago. You missed him." Mace Windu, one of the wiser Jedi told her.<p>

Yoda looked at Celeste, noticing the young padawan did not have her Master with her. "Ker-an-ten, is where now, child?"

"...Celeste..." A voice from outside the door could be heard getting closer. "Celeste." And then the door opened, revealing Ker-an-ten. He sighed, and soundly mildly out of breath as if he had been running.

Celeste blushed from embarrassment. Her Master had caught up with her before she had a chance to speak to Palpatine. This wasn't the first time she had disobeyed her Master's orders. Although she was very loyal to Ker-an-ten and the Jedi, and she held onto her beliefs strongly, she was still very stubborn. She felt that if something was wrong or dark things were going to happen, that she had to take matters personally and promptly into her own hands. It was her nature. And unlike Ker-an-ten, she was a bit... Impatient. "Yes, what is it, Master?" She acted as if nothing were wrong.

Ker-an-ten looked at Celeste with irritation. "You know perfectly well what it is. I told you before, if the Senator needs our assistance, he will tell us."

Eeth'koth raised an eye ridge. "Are we missing something?"

An older Jedi with long light brown hair and a goatee, by the name of Qui-gon-jinn, stood. He knew the Kage girl well, as he also knew Ker-an-ten. He and Ker-an-ten had become acquainted with each other throughout the years they served the Jedi order; more friends to each other than they were to some of the other Jedi. "You are being impatient again, are you not, Celeste?"

Celeste looked to the side, avoiding Qui-gon's stare.

Ker-an-ten sighed and walked up to Qui-gon while the other Jedi watched him. "Celeste feels..." He couldn't help but try and vouch for his young padawan. He did raise her, after all. And he cared for her like she was his own little sister. "...Like she should be doing more."

Celeste shook her head in irritation and took a step forward, looking Qui-gon in the eyes. "It's not just that... Something doesn't feel right! Eath'ahn... This Twi'lek is up to something, I believe. And the Senator is just being stubborn by not letting us deal with him. I just found out that Eath'ahn is refusing to speak about the things he did , and anything else in general. If I could just see him only once I could use the Jedi mind persuasion to-"

"You know that is not allowed, young one." Qui-gon calmly interrupted her. "In the court system, our mind reading and powers of persuasion are not permitted. That includes using them during interrogation."

"But we finally caught him! You know how long the Jedi and the Republic both have been searching for him. But we're treating him as if he were a common criminal..." Celeste tried her best to explain.

Yoda closed his eyes and sighed. "Understand your frustration, we do. But out of our hands this situation is."

Celeste looked down again and kept quiet. At this point she felt more than just frustrated. She was also insulted. Not by the Jedi, no, but by the Republic. 'They have us do their dirty work and then they just...' She thought of how she felt the Republic was treating the Jedi order, not only her. But she had to calm herself and her thoughts. Anger would only lead to harm and bad morals. And Celeste was the type to not let things like that get to her. The Force eased her senses and guided her, and she breathed out a deep breath.

Ker-an-ten felt his padawan finally relax. "Celeste, it's fine." He tried to comfort her.

"Yeah..." She spoke quietly and bowed to the other Jedi. "Forgive me, Masters. I won't bother you about it again."

Ker-an-ten removed his hand from her shoulder as she turned and opened the door, leaving the room. He looked at the other Jedi, particularly Qui-gon and frowned.

Qui-gon frowned at him as well. "She is a good girl. Very strong with her beliefs and loyal... But impatience has always been her weakness. Hopefully through time and our teachings, she will learn."

Ker-an-ten smiled hopefully, thinking of Celeste. "I believe she will."

Celeste walked down the hall alone and looked down, still worried and frustrated. 'If they're not going to allow me or the other Jedi to speak to Eath'ahn, then I'll just have to find a way to see him in private somehow... I know something is wrong here. The Masters may not sense it, but I do. There is more to this than just what we know. I feel like something bad is going to happen. I'm just going to have to find out what it is on my own.' She lifted her head up in confidence. 'First I'll wait for a while. And if none of us can speak with him still, then I'll go to him on my own.' She continued to walk, thinking of the future ahead.

* * *

><p>Hours passed on Dathomir and Coruscant both. Both planets, though in different solar systems, had nearly the same amount of rotation hours. Right now where Maul and Arian were, Dathomir was now in twilight, as was Coruscant where Celeste and Ker-an-ten were.<p>

Maul crossed his arms leaned himself against the side of a totem-like pillar as he watched his apprentice train from afar. From the time they started her training to even now, he kept his eyes on her. The Dathomir witches were very good, and in only one day he could see that Arian was already improving at stealth. She was reacting to her female instructor quickly and jumping techniques that she showed her were very helpful. So far, Arian was very learned. Good thing too, since they had barely any time to learn and Sidious could call them at any day. She had to learn as much as she could as fast as possible...

"Like this?" He heard Arian say, her voice sounding quite since he was a little far off from her. "Yes, exactly." Karis told her. He noticed that Arian seemed slower than she had hours ago, probably from fatigue. Karis' training wasn't nearly as brutal as his was, so Arian didn't seem exhausted... Just tired.

Maul breathed through his nose calmly and cleared his throat as he tilted his head and spaced out. It was funny... He felt tired from boredom. Being unable to train himself or Arian made him feel out of place. He wasn't used to going for breaks as long as this, especially for an entire day. He was used to training himself to the point of exhaustion. Soon, his mind started wandering off as he began thinking of his apprentice and the things they've done together so far. He hadn't really thought about it before, but he noticed that he hadn't physically hit or punished Arian ever since she had told him she was worried about him when she was parted from him when Eath'ahn had captured her. Instead of hitting her that day, he had only... Stared at her. And more than that, he remembered having feelings of deep concern for her and jealously when Eath'ahn had made approaches to her. 'It was true. Teran was right. I was worried for Arian's safety and well being.'

Karis told Arian to run over to a nearby rock and try to jump over it and hide. Arian got in position...

Maul, still lingering on his thoughts, didn't see what Arian was attempting to do.

"AHH!" Maul heard a sudden yell and from it he nearly jumped, and looked again in Arian's direction. He saw he getting up from the ground as she held her shoulder and Karis trying to help her. What he was thinking of was lost as he paced fast over to her.

"What did you do?" Karis heard Maul ask from behind. She hadn't expected him to come to Arian's aid... "I told her to-"

"I wasn't talking to you." Maul disregarded Karis and bent over Arian to look at her. Karis wasn't really insulted by what he said. She could tell that he would probably say that to anyone besides close friends or family.

"Sorry, Master." Arian held her arm and looked down. It didn't hurt very much, but it left a large, bleeding scrape.

Maul sat on his knees and looked at his apprentice, bringing his hand up about to touch her shoulder. Before he could, Arian looked at him and sighed.

"I'm... Okay..." When she looked at her Master she noticed again that he seemed different. Usually, he would have scorned her for something like this, but his eyes said otherwise. Was he worried about her?

Maul sighed and took her free hand, and gently placed his other hand against her shoulder blade.

"Really, it's fine. It's just a scratch. I can keep going." Arian contested.

Maul helped her up to her feet. "It's not just that. If you tire yourself out too much, you won't be as alert in your training tomorrow. This was enough for today, Arian." He half lied, truly concerned for her at the moment.

Arian was surprised by how he was acting. He seemed so gentle right now... But maybe she was wrong. It wasn't in his nature to be like this... Then again, he had been acting a little different towards her ever since the end of the tournament. Still, she didn't understand his slight change.

Maul and Arian both looked at Karis. "Arian, would you like to join me and the other sisters in the hot springs for bathing?"

"Umm..." Arian didn't know what to say to that... Bathing naked with others wasn't something she was very used to. And Maul probably wouldn't oblige.

Maul didn't think too highly of her offer, thinking that they might say some things to her that he wouldn't want her to know, like things regarding her past.

Karis looked at Maul, able to read him by his facial expressions. "It would be good for her. It will help relieve her wound and the fatigue she gained throughout the day."

Maul thought for a moment, glancing at Arian then back at Karis and made a decision. "Fine."

Arian smiled gently at his permission. She saw this as an opportunity to relax and to find out some small things about her culture, even if she didn't mention to them her lost past... Something about being around the Nightsisters made her feel at home, and she would be glad to spend more time with them, even if she may not get to see them again after her and Maul's eventual depart from Dathomir...

* * *

><p>Maul unclothed himself and dipped his body into a hot spring. While Arian bathed with the Nightsisters in a separate spring that was nearby, he took the time he had of waiting for her to relax himself. He needed to cleanse his body anyway, so he might as well do it in the time that Arian was bathing.<p>

As Maul settled down into the warm water, he let out a sigh of comfort. To him, this moment felt like a luxury. All through his life with Sidious he was either being trained or tortured, and never had the chance to enjoy such things as this. But he forced himself to not get used to it, since he knew that it wouldn't last. But in this one opportunity he decided to enjoy the tranquility while he could.

After being in the water for a few minutes, silence grew around him. The water stayed unmoving as he did. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing, until he heard the feminine voices nearby. Arian and the other Dathomirians were too far off for him to make out what they were saying, but out of all of them he specifically recognized the sound of Arian's voice.

Arian stood with a red cloth used as a towel wrapped around her body. The other Nightsisters were already in the hot springs, some talking and others laughing together. But she felt… shy.

"Come on, what are you waiting for, sister?" A Nightsister with tied back white hair asked.

"Sister?" Arian had never been called that before.

"We all call each other sister. That is how we are. You, Arian, are a sister as well. You are one of us after all." Naa'leth told her.

A feeling of loneliness came over Arian. 'I'm one of them… Yet I'm not.' She felt distant from them since she had no memory of them.

Naa'leth and the others could read Arian's feelings by how she looked down. Both she, and the other Nightsisters knew Arian very well. More than Arian knew herself, unfortunately. But they had been ordered by Talzin to not speak of the girl's past to her. It saddened them. They cared for the girl very much, as they did each other, like family. But because of who Arian was, they knew she was special and different from them… Perhaps one day when the time was right, they hoped that Arian would remember who she once was.

Karis, the one that had just finished training her stood up , entirely naked. She began walking from the water over to Arian, and when Arian heard her she looked up and her face turned a darker shade. Seeing her naked made her very shy. But when Karis got up to her, she gently placed her hands upon her shoulders in a comforting way and smiled at her and laughed to cheer her up. "Come in and enjoy yourself."

The other Nightsisters began cheering and laughing to make Arian feel happy as well.

Arian looked at Karis and smiled back, nearly forgetting the lonely feeling she had gotten due to Karis' cheery attitude towards her. They acted so different then they had when she first came to Dathomir. Before they had been so serious and protective of their home, but now they seemed so fun. Maybe it was because no one else was around besides the Nightsisters themselves… Once she saw that she had nothing to be embarrassed about, she dropped the towel from her and stepped into the water.

Before Arian had a chance to really relax, Karis cupped her hands together to pick up water and pour it on Arian's head.

"H-hey!" Arian stuttered and began snickering.

Karis laughed along with her. "So, Arian. What do you think of us?"

"You all…" She looked at the other Nightsister's faces to see them all staring back at her with interest and smiles. "You have all been very nice to me. Especially you, Karis. Your training has helped a lot so far. I think that by the time I have to leave to fulfill my mission with my Master, your training will have taught me a lot."

"We are happy to help you." Karis exclaimed as she moved away from Arian and back into the group with the others. Still, they continued to look at her.

Arian wadded her hands back and forth in the water, unsure of what to say next. The Nightsisters kept quite for a while as well, until one of them thought of something to ask when she thought of what Arian just said about her Master. "Your Master is that Zabrak, Maul?"

"Yes." Arian nodded. She knew she shouldn't say a lot to them about her life because Maul and Sidious both wouldn't want her to say anything that could damage their plans and give out information about the Sith. Then again, Talzin had said that she knew why they were here and that she agreed to help her with the task that their "Master" gave them. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the other Nightsisters also knew… But she would not say anything, just in case. "He trains and teaches me. I'm pretty good at fighting because of him."

"He trains you." Another Nightsister said. "What else do you two do together?"

Arian looked to the side at some of the weapons the sisters had set on the nearby rocks. "I'm not really… supposed to say much. But we mainly just train together."

"How does he treat you?" Another one asked.

Arian wondered what she meant by that, and she thought for a second… "He's very disciplined and strict. He doesn't talk much to me. Actually, he doesn't talk much at all unless he finds what he's going to say to be necessary…" She looked down, feeling sad once she thought deeper into it. She had thought before that she wished Maul would open up and speak to her a little more, and she still felt the same way now.

The Nightsisters were able to easily see Arian's sadness. But they had to ask her more for… certain reasons. These questions weren't only for bonding with the girl, but for something more important. "How does he feel about you?" A sister with a bald head and pale eyes asked.

Arian stopped moving her hands back and forth and stayed still as she thought about it. Even after all the things she and Maul had so far done together, at this point she was not able to tell how he felt about her. She did know that she annoyed him at least somewhat because she was either messing up a mission or just disobeying him. After forcing herself to remain obedient to him no matter what, he had grown a little less harsh with her. But he was always still distant when she tried to speak to him. "…I'm not sure." Was all she could say, wanting to say more but her feelings holding her back.

"How do you feel about him?" Naa'leth asked with a darker tone of voice.

Arian thought even deeper into this question than their previous one. 'I feel…' She thought about all the times he touched her. All the times that she had felt attracted to him and longed to be near him. The time at the tournament when she was worried about his safety during his final fight. And the time that she felt deeply hurt when she saw Master Sidious punishing him for her mistake… At this point, she could tell that her feelings and perception of him were going beyond that of just master and apprentice… She wanted to keep those feelings inside, as she was confused with them. But the more time she spent with him, the more she felt like she was growing a feeling of affection for him… And she couldn't help it anymore. But she had to, for her sake and for Maul's, keep the feelings hidden… But she still, in a way, longed for him. "…I" She blushed and looked away, unable to admit out loud how she was beginning to feel for Maul.

But the Nightsisters knew. They knew exactly how Arian felt. Her demeanor showed it.

"…Do you think-" Arian suddenly spoke something that was on her mind. "-That he…" Even her question, she couldn't bring to ask…

"Of course he cares about you." Karis suddenly said,

Arian gasped and blushed, looking at Karis. "The way he acts around you proves that he cares for your wellbeing. He is very… cold to others. Like he was to me when I tried to speak to him during your stealth training. He ignored me completely. But judging by the way he helped you after just a scrape like that, I can tell that he is very protective of you and treats you more special than he treats others. The way he moves, talks, and speaks to you shows that he's not only saying it out of sheer strictness or discipline. I believe he honestly wants you to be safe and protect you."

Karis' words made Arian smile. "…You really think that?" She couldn't look any of them in the face from embarrassment.

"Very much." Karis continued. "Like all males, especially Dathomirian-Zabraks, it is difficult for them to express themselves at all to females. Just remember, males are stupid."

Arian smiled even bigger and tried to hold back a snicker at what she said, but the laugh came through her nose. "Females are always the smarter ones." Karis and the other Nightsisters believed and thought like that because of their upbringing on Dathomir, since on Dathomir the females are dominant over the males. "The males are more brutish and cannot easily express how they feel about someone or something. They think more with their muscles than with their brains. You said that Maul doesn't speak much to you, right? The next time you see him, if you are able to talk to him try to pay more attention to how he looks at you and acts around you. Since he will not express how he feels through words, maybe he'll express or show something through actions."

Arian paused for a second, then nodded, agreeing with what Karis told her.

"Or…" Karis thought of something to say. "Maybe you could try doing something different around him. Try saying or doing something to him that you haven't done before and see what he'll do."

Arian didn't know at this time what she would necessarily do. But when the time came, she believed she would figure something out. She wanted desperately for Maul to be more open with her…

* * *

><p>About thirty more minutes passed. Long before, Maul had already gotten out of the spring and clothed himself. He stayed outside and nearby, but in an area that Arian would meet him in when she was done bathing. During the time he continued to wait, he built a fire and hunted an animal that was easily obtainable. Sitting on a long rock that was close to the fire, he watched as the creature cooked in it. It would be done soon, and would finally be able to eat. He hadn't eaten the whole day, and he knew Arian was hungry also.<p>

Karis gave Arian a red dressing robe, one that looked much different than the one she would sleep in on Coruscant, and told Arian that she could use it for the time being that she would be staying. The robe was short at the hem and long in the sleeves and styled like rest of the Dathomirian garb; being shaped like bandages and very traditional to the Dathomiri culture. Arian finally came out of the springs and put the robe on, as did the other Nightsisters with their sleeping attire. They asked her if she would like to join them to eat but she declined as she told them that she just needed to find Maul for now. Once she saw that the Nightsisters finished dressing and started walking off to their dwellings, she looked around and saw the other hot spring off in the distance, and an open fire near it.

Maul heard the sound of light footsteps coming towards him, and he looked over to see Arian approaching him. The sight of her was very different; the robes she was wearing making her look almost like a Dathomirian that had grown up purely with their ancient culture. But her outfit did not change who she was, and he knew that.

Once Arian got closer to him, she stopped, waiting for him to tell her what she should do.

"Sit down and eat. You need nourishment." Maul told her as he took the animal on the stick out of the fire. It was already done cooking.

Arian did what he instructed her and sat down beside him on the rock. He broke the food in half and handed it to her, afterwards putting his share into his mouth and gnawing on it.

Arian took a few bites from her food and swallowed. She thought of what the Nightsisters told her, taking their words and ideas into account. This time, she would observe her Master and how he acted. So far, he gave her food, telling her that she needs the nourishment. In a way she hoped that he was saying that for more than just the reason of her not being fatigued the next day so she could train better. But he was hard to read, and she couldn't tell what his reasoning was…

She decided to do what Karis said, and talk to him about things she usually wouldn't talk about. "So… What did you do in the time I bathed, Master?"

Maul looked at her and set down what was left of his food now; which was just an empty bone. "I cleansed myself and made us food."

Arian nodded once. "Hmm."

"I heard you with the Nightsisters, Arian. I didn't hear what you were saying, but I heard all of you talking. Did they ask you anything that was out of line?" He asked a question that seemed a little intimidating, but his tone of voice said otherwise. He seemed more curious than anything…

"No, Master. They didn't say anything about my... You know." Arian knew that he knew what she was referring to.

"Good. Like I said before, if you really want a future, you cannot dwell on the past, or your questions of your past." He leaned his back straight, but still looked at her.

Arian said nothing and continued to look at the fire.

"...When we first arrived here today, you were dwelling on your questions." Maul stated, trying to see what she would do.

Arian tilted her head down a little further and let out a soft sigh. "I was, but I'm trying not to now."

Maul stayed silent and stared at her for a few seconds longer, then looked at the fire again.

"...Master?" Arian broke the silence between them, but didn't face Maul when she started talking again.

"Yes?" Maul turned to Arian when she spoke.

"What do you..." She paused, finding it difficult to ask him. "What do you think of me?"

"What do you mean?" He honestly did not know what she was referring to.

"I mean..." She moved her legs in a more comfortable position and held them close to her chest, then set her head atop them. "Do you think I've changed a lot? Am I better than I was when we first met?" She turned her head to the side and looked at Maul, still resting herself on her legs. His red skin and yellow eyes seemed to glow in the light of the fire as she tried to observe his reactions, and she couldn't help but think how handsome he looked...

At this particular moment, Maul felt a sort of... Easiness around his apprentice. Something he usually wouldn't feel around others. "You have changed, Arian."

Arian smiled at him. Something she hadn't done before.

An unusual, new feeling rose within Maul as she smiled at him. A look so gentle and different... But why? "You've gotten better at combat, you are more calm and you listen better than you had." He continued, not taking his eyes from her. "There is still a lot for you to learn, but if you keep up the way you are, I believe you will continue to improve."

Arian's smile got bigger. She was so happy with what he told her... 'I think this is the first time he's spoken to me without scorn or anger...' She turned back to look at the fire again, and started thinking of other things that she wanted to ask him. "Can I ask you something else?"

Maul continued to look at her. "Go ahead." He didn't hesitate. For some reason he wanted to speak to her more right now. Her company at this time was very comforting… He knew she was not in any sort of danger and he was proud in a way that she did not act on her yearning for answers of her past. They had a stressful mission ahead of them, but in this moment he felt more at peace.

Arian cleared her throat, eager and to some extent fearful of asking him what she was thinking. "When I messed up during the mission, you got angry with me. But instead of… punishing me, you froze up. Why?" This time she didn't look at him. Although she wanted to observe how he would react to a question like that, she was too nervous to look him straightforward.

Maul looked at her for a second or so longer, noticing that she seemed more tense as she asked this. However, her question alerted him as well. 'She noticed that…' He had hoped that he was the only one that had noticed that at that time, but surprisingly his apprentice was a lot more observant of him than he thought… He turned his look from her to glance at the fire again, just as she was doing to him. What should he say to her? That he was honestly worried about her wellbeing, and has been ever since? No, he couldn't… She shouldn't… couldn't know that he was starting to feel so protective of her… He didn't want her to know… "…You noticed that, Arian?"

Arian tilted her head towards him only enough so he wouldn't notice her looking at him. "Yes." She said.

Maul turned even farther, his inner emotions blocking him from looking at her. Silence over took him, and he could not answer her…

Once Arian saw that he wasn't going to respond, she chose to keep up the conversation herself, wanting more and more to see what'd he'd say or do… "When Eath'ahn captured me and I woke up, I was very worried about you Master. I know I shouldn't have been, because I know that you're able to handle yourself, but still I… After seeing Teran I was afraid that you were going to get… hurt."

Maul swallowed hard. The same feeling he got when she had admitted her worry for him that day came to him even stronger than it had before…

Arian started fidgeting with her hands and felt the blood rush to her face, finding her final question that she was ready to ask to be the hardest. "…Were you worried about me, too?"

Maul bit down on his teeth, breathed out heavily and shook his head. "You're thinking too much into it." He told her quickly as an excuse to pussyfoot around her question, hiding what he truly felt for her now.

Arian smiled to herself, still blushing. She could tell by his reactions that he was hiding something… But she didn't want to push him to far, and so she stopped with her questions and set her legs back down on the ground to sit in her previous position.

A minute or so passed. Maul continuously repeated over and over the things Arian just asked and said to him… The things he was feeling were not what he was used to, so he had no way of really dealing with them. Even fighting and what Sidious has always put him through made him feel more easy than he did now. Never was he like this with another. And it being Arian made it even stranger… But he did not hate it. He didn't want to admit it, but he found it enjoyable… Her company and the things she told him.

Arian felt a small stinging pain abruptly in her shoulder. "Tss… Ug…" She grunted and held her arm. She had entirely forgotten that she had hurt herself during her training with Karis, and the wound was still a little open. Karis had said that the spring water would help it, and she thought it did… But it was still a fresh wound, although not that bad, was still irritating.

Maul looked over when he heard Arian's minute whimper. "What?"

Arian rubbed her shoulder and looked at it. "That cut I got a while ago is annoying."

Maul moved closer to her without a word and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Arian turned her head to look at him, and saw that he was not looking her in the eyes and instead concentrating on her arm. "What are you doing?"

Maul lightly pulled Arian's sleeve a few inches down her shoulder and looked, noticing that the wound had opened slightly, and small drops of blood were smeared on her shoulder and robes. He sighed. "The clothes you have on rubbed against the lesion and irritated it…" He leaned more towards her and his arm accidentally touched the back of her head. Something else was wrong to him, too. Her hair was excessively wet, to the point that the upper part of her robes were drenched. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he took her dripping hair from her neck and lifted it up. "Why didn't you dry your hair more? You're going to get sick like this…"

Arian moved away, finding his lectures about something like this to just be menial. "It's fine, Master. I won't get sick."

Maul wrung her hair in his hands and water fell from her hair and onto the rock they were sitting on, with some of it even getting on him… "No. It's not fine."

Arian squirmed at what he was doing when he pulled her hair too hard. "Ow! Do you have to pull it like that?" Her tone of voice got higher.

"Urgg… Stop… squirming so much!" Even he began to get aggravated at Arian's doggedness.

"Ngg! Masssteerr!" Arian gripped Maul's shoulders to get him to stop, but the wetness and angle of the rock caused her and him both to slip and fall…

"OOMPH." Both said as they hit the sandy ground. Arian landed on her back, and Maul on top of her… She still gripped his shoulders, and he had his hand resting hard against her collarbone and his other hand around her shoulder as well.

They both had their eyes closed from the impact, but once the they became more aware of what happened, they opened their eyes to see just exactly where they were.

Maul's tattooed lips rested close enough on Arian's that he could feel the soft texture of her own lips. A delicate and close feeling that he had not experienced before… It wasn't exactly a kiss, since the whole situation was only a mishap and their lips were only touching so slightly that the feeling was barely noticeable by physical means… But the emotion it brought up in him AND in Arian as well made them both feel like their hearts were about to thump from their chests.

Both were frozen… Eyes wide and staring back at each other with oddity and embarrassment. They could not move as they focused more on this fragile moment. Their breathes hit each other's mouths as they were both parted just so faintly…

Maul slowly moved his head back and braced his arms on either side of Arian against the ground, and pushed himself up. But his eyes… No matter how he moved his eyes were still pierced on Arian's, and he was blushing. But the blushing was unnoticeable due to his facial tattoos.

On the other hand, Maul saw the deep color emerge on Arian's face as she stared back at him also. And he could not refrain from thinking, 'What is she feeling?'.

Arian was still frozen. Her mind was blank, except for her thoughts of how he felt against her…

Maul had to deal with this happening in a way that would show he was unaffected. If it's not too late, that is… So he forced himself to speak. "Arian, I told you before. Cease from flinching when these things happen." He tried to sound intimidating, but his voice came out as more of a sound of worry than anything…

Arian closed her eyes quickly and frowned. "S-Sorry!" She yelled and turned over, getting up very quickly and standing. Maul got up as well.

Maul sighed and looked at Arian from behind. She was holding her arms together, and he could see that she was very embarrassed. "Mmm…" He growled. "What if I had been, say Eath'ahn right now or someone even as dangerous. Would you have reacted the same?"

Arian sighed subtly and tried so hard to compose herself, but couldn't answer his question.

Maul walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He had already calmed himself, but still a faint feeling of adrenalin coursed through him. "It doesn't matter. You will learn, I know. This was your test for today like I had said before. Just come." With that, he turned and walked away in the direction of the Nightsister village.

Arian sighed hard when she heard him to have walked away, and thought to herself about what happened. '…Was that really a test?' She thought of the look in his eyes when he was atop her, and for sure he had been just as surprised as she was…

Maul, after being far enough off, placed his hand on his chest and thought about what just happened. The touch of her lips against his felt so… exhilarating. But by the Force he would not let her know that… He was able to save his own ass by making it out to seem like a test.

Well at least, he thought that he tricked Arian into thinking it had been a test…

* * *

><p>Minutes passed, and Arian and Maul entered the room which Talzin allowed them to stay. Neither spoke to each other on their way to the room. Arian sat on the side of the bed after Maul opened and shut the door for her, and he walked over to sit on the other side.<p>

Arian was still being a little phased by the incident that happened back there, and so she kept focusing on it although she didn't want to.

Maul breathed out as he removed his gloves, shirt robes, and boots from his body and set them down neatly into a pile near the bed, only leaving his pants on himself. As he got himself situated underneath the covers of the bed, he looked at Arian and saw her still sitting instead of laying down. "Arian."

Arian looked up and turned her head over her shoulder to look at her Master as he pulled the covers open for her. "Lay down. We're going to get up early and you're going to train again like you did today."

Arian tightened her lips together when she saw his tattooed, muscled torso again. Like before, she still found him highly attractive. Seeing him like this didn't help her feelings of what she had before to go away, either… It only made her even more introverted around him. But that didn't change that she took pleasure in seeing him unclothed… Anyhow, she did what he told her and got underneath the covers and turned herself to face him.

Maul let the covers go out of his hands and Arian took them and pulled them up to her waist. After that, he turned over and his back faced her, the covers also only going up to his own waist.

Arian looked at him from behind for a few seconds, finding it strange to be sleeping next to him… To be resting next to a man in general was already weird enough, but this was her Master, and she had grown very fond of him. It felt even stranger because of that, but she still like the fact that she was near him like this. She scooched up next to him a little more and could feel his skin radiate a warmth like she had felt a while back before… But she always enjoyed that warmth, and she hoped that he wouldn't notice her liking of it.

An hour or so passed, and Arian fell asleep. She had grown very weary throughout the day. But Maul was still awake, and his eyes were open. The room was very dimly lit by a green candle that hung on the wall. Soon he heard his apprentice's small breathing, and he turned over as slowly as he could to not wake up disturb her. He had been getting uncomfortable laying on his side, and wanted to switch to the other side. However, once he turned he hadn't known that Arian was facing him as she slept.

Maul stared at his apprentice, in taking how she looked as she rested. Her hair was still a little wet and it was laying across her pale face. Her lips were parted and he could hear her soft breathing and even feel it against his skin, and her hands rested elegantly in front of her with her small fingers opened like a flower…

Maul continued to look at her with his eyes half closed, and noticed that her shoulders were uncovered. Taking good care still to not wake her, he pulled the light cover over her shoulder and moved himself closer to her. Something about her at this second drew him to want to be near her more, and in a way he was worried that she was going to get cold.

Arian continued to sleep without the knowledge of Maul being so gentle with her…

Maul still looked at her soft face, his eyes darting over her features. Again, he thought more of what had happened and how her lips felt against his, and he thought of how he… liked it. Without any self control or worry, he brought his ungloved, strong, tattooed fingers to brush against her bottom lip. And after that he moved her wet hair from her face and behind her ear.

Arian moved very slightly from the touch, but still stayed asleep.

In his mind, Maul thought about Arian's questions, especially when she had asked him, _"…Were you worried about me, too?". _And he whispered as silently as he could while he continued to stroke her face, "I was more worried about you than you realize…"

More minutes passed, and Maul fell asleep as well. And a strange, ominous green mist entered the crack of their door and came into their room as they slept, both unaware of it…

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! Besides everyone probably being happy that Maul and Arian kind of kissed in this chapter, I would like to also know your opinion on what you think of Celeste so far… This chapter took a very long time to complete as I was studying up a lot on the Dathomirians in the "Book of Sith". Anyway, please review and tell me what you think of Celeste, Maul and Arian's growing bond, their "kiss", and other stuff that you feel free to mention or ask about… And please tell me if you think that I'm making Maul and Arian's relationship move too fast (I really don't want to rush it or make it too slow…). Thank you all! ^_^ I will start on a new chapter, soon.<strong>


	26. Chapter 26: Secret destiny

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. Except for my character, Arian. (And other OCs, including but not limited to, Eath'ahn, Trenon, Bezon, Hilith, Teran, Celeste, Ker-an-ten)**

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><p>A devoted heart, a black affection<p>

Chapter 26: Secret destiny

"Mother, Talzin..." Karis whispered her shaman leader's name when she strode into her chambers that she used for spell casting or meeting with the other Nightsisters. There she found Talzin sitting at a long desk with a few other Nightsisters gathered around her, and her pale hands waving over her yellow crystal ball.

Talzin whispered incantations in a different tongue and closed her eyes. Her coven around her bowed their heads and kept silent.

Karis went up to Talzin and held out to her a single strand of a long, black hair.

Talzin lowered her voice to the point of a gentle whisper and not after long stopped speaking in tongues entirely. "Ah, you have it."

Karis closed her eyes and softly bowed her head. "Yes, Mother."

Talzin took the hair strand from her underling and slid it through both of her finger tips, a soft and almost sad expression appearing on her pale, tattooed face. "My dear, Arian... I have missed you so..."

The other Nightsisters looked sad as well, but kept their strength and courage together.

Talzin intertwined the strand of Arian's hair around her pointer and middle fingers and began waving it over her crystal ball in circular motions.

Karis and the other Nightsisters looked at Talzin. "It has been over four years now, Mother..." One of them said. "Arian seems so different, and yet the same... We have all missed her."

"The Zabrak she is with is the one that took her from Tattooine..." Naa'leth said in a darker tone. "But was he the right one? Was he really the one that was meant to be her savior as the prophecy said, Mother? It does not make sense. You even said yourself that Maul's destiny was not meant to be off Dathomir. And he is only a Nightbrother male... How is he anything special from the rest of the Nightbrothers?"

Talzin bowed her head wisely. "All of you know that Maul was born at least two years before Arian. Our Fanged God and Winged Goddess had not spoken to me about him. But as you all know his mother, Kycina, took him away from our and his home of Dathomir and went against our ancient laws." Before continuing, she set her hand aside. "Maul, at birth did not seem special. He had seemed like a regular Nightbrother. For some reason I had not sensed his connection with the Force to be so powerful. Perhaps the Fanged God had wanted to shroud his destiny; for he had not told me he would've been this way. But ever since Maul met Arian, our Gods and the spirits have connected with me more..."

Naa'leth continued. "If Maul IS her true savior, then he is the third and final one meant to be in the Trinity. That means-"

"-That he is undoubtedly meant to be her true, physical mate." Talzin finished Naa'leth's sentence. "Arian's destiny has always been very ambiguous. The day she was born right after her mother was poisoned to death by that Twi'lek, you all know we were supposed to tattoo her as our tradition has us all tattooed. But the Gods and spirits spoke to me and told me that she was meant to be pure and only tattooed by…"

"-The one that gave her the tattoo on her back..." Karis said as Talzin paused, knowing that she knew whom she was referring to.

Talzin nodded her head. "So far, the Gods and spirits have only mentioned to me that she was only supposed to be tattooed by that one, and that after that she was supposed to have her memories cleansed and sent away to the desert planet where her new love would take and mate with her."

"Mother, what is the Trinity of Shadows? Have the Gods told you, yet?" Naa'leth looked at Talzin with curiosity.

"They have not." Talzin said. "I still only know that this "Trinity of Shadows" requires Arian, Maul, and the one that gave Arian her tattoo, and that their unification and Maul's mating with her will "bring about a new life" for our people..." She continued, sounding unsure of what to think. "The spirits and Gods are still leading me. Unlike a regular prophecy that speaks of what shall happen in the future, the spirits continue to guide me and show me what needs to be done to or for Arian next. Even as a Shaman, I do not fully understand their entire intention or Arian's exact future."

A sentimentality grew over everyone in the room, particularly Talzin. The Shaman Mother let out a quiet sigh and brought her hand that had Arian's hair strand in her fingers back again over her crystal ball.

"Mother..." One of the Nightsisters spoke. "What shall this spell do?"

Talzin started waving her hand over the crystal ball again. "I can see that Maul, despite being a male, has great control over his... Appetites and desires. If he is truly to mate with Arian, then a little push is needed. Otherwise I do not think that he will let his male instincts take control over him. This spell will slowly through time increase his sexual urges and desires for Arian, and he will eventually reach a point where he can no longer keep them under control."

"But what about Arian? Will he end up hurting her if he looses self control?" The same Nightsister asked.

Talzin closed her eyes. "...I hope not. But because of his upbringing by his Master, I am not sure. But he must mate with her, no matter the cost." She sadly explained, wanting the best for Arian but finding it necessary to push her safety aside.

After a few minutes, Talzin began chanting her spell once again as the rest of the Nightsisters kept silent. A green mist began oozing distortedly from the crystal ball, but the distortion soon gathered together into a more focused line. The line of mist then started traveling, and went out through the doorway of the room.

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><p>Maul breathed out steadily and softly as he slept calmly still, with his arm resting against Arian's shoulder. Neither him nor his apprentice had turned or moved, except for him moving his arm to hold her during his sleep. Subconsciously in his sleeping state his body still knew that Arian was there, and without any control he had moved over to touch her delicate skin, her feeling to him just as soft as the pillow he lay his head against.<p>

Arian was also unaware that she was drawn to him as well; the deep, masculine warmth and scent of his skin making her cuddle up to him and rest her forehead against his neck.

Maul's arm, being larger compared to Arian's frame, fell against her back and he pulled her even closer to him...

The mist creeped through the cracks of the door frame and once again gathered back together. Slowly, it made its way over to the bed that Arian and Maul slept on and hovered over Maul. The jade colored haze glided past the Zabrak's faintly parted lips, and only a very minute amount seeped into his mouth and nostrils. But only that little bit was necessary, and so Talzin stopped her movements and chanting and the rest of the mist evaporated into the air.

Maul did not move, for he had not sensed or felt the mist go into him...

"It is done." Talzin spoke with a sigh as she relaxed her arms down in a ghostly manner.

"When do you think the spell will start affecting his senses?" A Nightsister with short white hair questioned.

"Perhaps within a few days. But the build up will be so slow that he may still push the feelings aside. But as I said, he will reach a high point where he will no longer be able to control or handle it." Talzin stood up and grazed her spider-like fingers against the arm rest of her chair. "My sisters, we shall rest for now. The night only began and you will need rest for Arian's continued training tomorrow." She looked at Kais, whom she noticed was staring at her with a questionable expression.

"Yes, Mother." The Nightsisters all bowed and left the room, except for Karis.

"You wanted to ask me something, dear Karis?" Talzin placed her hands together against the middle of her red robes.

"...Does she know, Mother?" Karis walked up to Talzin and looked her in the eyes. "Does Arian know at all that Maul is-?"

Talzin gently waved her head back and forth and turned around to face the door. "She does not. And neither her nor Maul shall ever be told that secret. You understand, Karis?"

Karis looked down, but agreed with her. "I do."

"It is quite strange. Their destines are so intertwined, much more than I would have ever realized." Talzin sighed out and closed her eyes. "I never would have thought that Arian's older half-brother would also be her destined mate."

"Nmm..." Arian moaned as dreams once again coursed through her mind in her slumber. Her hands pressed hard up against her Master's chest as her dreams became more vivid the images flashed behind her shut eye lids.

Maul felt a noticeable pressure against his chest, and it caused him to wake. Eyes opening slowly, his vision adjusted from the deep sleep he had been in and once he came to he saw his younger apprentice's rapid eye movements and strained breathing, and realized that the hard feeling on his chest was her hands pressing against him. He moved his head back and braced himself up, and though Arian's hands fell from him, her dreaming did not cease. 'These dreams she has...' He thought as he stared at Arian instead of waking her. 'I saw her having them before back on that planet, and she recently told me of them.' He took the time to observe her.

In the next few seconds, Arian's breathing and moaning started to become more and more erratic, but Maul only... Watched. A curious expression played on his tattooed face, and the more he watched Arian, the more a feeling of worry came over him.

"... ... ... ...please..." Arian whispered with a

choke as she clenched her hand into a fist noticeably hard.

Maul's eyes widened at his apprentice's plea. And that feeling of concern grew...

"Stop... Stoopppp...! Nnnn..." Arian's body curled inward and her pleas got louder.

"Arian." Maul grasped her by the shoulders and gently shook her to try and wake her up. "Arian!"

"Stop! Please don't do this!" The girl yelled in her sleep, and soon tears fell through her shut eyes.

Maul's eyes widened. What could she possibly be dreaming of to make her do this in her sleep?! "Wake up!" This time, he pulled her to sit up and shook her much harder than he had been doing.

"Ah!" Arian emitted a loud yet squeaky-yell and opened her eyes wide to see Maul staring back at her.

Maul looked back into her eyes and let out a sigh, then looked down but continued to hold her shoulders. "You were..."

Arian noticed that he had looked at her nearly the exact same way he had before after their mission at the tournament, but this time she could tell that he seemed concerned.

"You were yelling in your sleep." He looked at her again and saw that the sides of her face were still wet with tears.

Arian looked down, avoiding his stare, and realized that she had another one of those dreams again. "...What was I saying?" She felt embarrassed.

Maul sighed through his nose. "You were begging someone to "stop" and you said, "please don't do this."

Arian frowned. The dream she had wasn't a familiar one and this one made her feel incredibly sad, like her heart had dropped to her stomach...

Maul saw that Arian didn't notice her own tears, and could tell that she was feeling different. He moved both his hands up and quickly but gently slid his thumbs over where her tears had stained her face and he let out a sigh.

Arian felt her Master wipe her tears and believed he was only doing it because he found her crying annoying, since he did it so quickly and had sighed. Little did she know he was doing it only out of his own concern for her.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Arian flinched from the sudden sound, and Maul looked to see one of the Nightsister come into the room. "Daylight has broken." She told the two with her scratchy voice.

Maul looked at Arian once more, then back at the Nightsister. Clearing his throat, he pushed the covers from himself and stood up. "Good. Arian, you will continue your training now and after some hours have passed you can take a break and eat." After making a short glance at Arian, he took his upper robes from where he had set them during the night and clothed himself with them.

As Maul continued to dress, the Nightsister looked at Arian and noticed how dispirited she looked as her head was down and her eyes were staring blankly at nothing. "...Arian?" She put her hand out, but Arian didn't respond.

At the moment, Maul was strapping his boots to his feet. But when he saw that the Nightsister even noticed Arian's behavior, it did not please him. He shot the Nightsister a cold stare and ceased his movements.

The Nightsister felt Maul's gaze on her, and she looked at him.

"We will finish dressing and come when we are done. Leave us." Maul rudely and forcibly commanded her as a way to not allow her to make Arian's thoughts and mood even worse.

The Nightsister glared at him, then left the room as she roughly closed the door from irritation.

Maul finished dressing, but even by the time he was done he saw that Arian hadn't moved and inch.

"Nnnrg..." Maul growled with frustration. After how he felt about Arian only a few hours ago at night and the conversations they had had, he was a little surprised that as soon as they woke up that he found that she was being very displeasing now. The way she was acting depressed because of whatever dream she saw made him feel uncomfortable, since her feelings could very likely interfere with her training.

Even with Maul staring at her, Arian did not move. Be it from her ignoring him or just not paying attention, she couldn't stay like this. He crawled onto the bed and roughly cupped her chin with his right hand and forced her to look at him. "Snap out of it."

Arian's eyes widened once Maul caught her attention.

Maul glared at her. "Your training is going to continue now, as I said. Cease your senseless feelings, Arian." And with that, he stood up and headed to the door, opening it. "Hurry up and get dressed."

Arian watched her Master close the door behind him, then she looked down again.

Seconds of pure silence passed as Arian focused deeply on her dream. She was unable to break the intense sadness that seemed to latch to her heart, even though she repeated in her mind her promise to Maul to stay focused on the future and her loyalty and growing feelings for him.

...

...

...Arian gripped the sheets of the bed, then threw them aside and got up to get dressed.

Maul was staring at the Nightsister that had came to get them, since she was waiting for Arian just as he was. The Nightsister looked back at him and read his eyes. She knew the "warning" signs he was giving her with his look. But she had no intention of saying anything to Arian about her past or anything that may relate to it.

Maul heard the door open behind him, and saw his young apprentice emerge, dressed the way he had instructed her to do. The Nightsister looked at her, too.

Arian looked up at her Master, who was had turned and was looking at her with his arms crossed. She tried to hold back how she was feeling from her dream she had, but it showed through with her movements and the expression in her eyes. "...Go ahead with her." He hesitated his commands to Arian, not liking the feeling she was giving off; very distracted and almost depressed...

"R-right." Arian stuttered only slightly, but did as Maul said and went over to the Nightsister.

Maul watched as Arian walked away with her. 'Why again... Why now?' He hated how distracted she was.

"Something is wrong?" That voice... It could only be... Maul looked to his right to see Talzin coming up to him. She stopped and stood next to him, and both of their gazes turned to Arian. He chose to not answer the shaman woman, but instead ask her his own question. "...What can you tell me of these reoccurring dreams Arian has?" It was funny... He had told Arian to ask nothing about her past or anything pertaining to it, yet he himself ended up asking about it.

Talzin paused, and turned to the side. "I do not know what you speak of, Maul." She lied.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." Maul snapped as he uncrossed his arms and turned to her, despite her turning her back to him.

Before Arian and the Nightsister that was accompanying her had a chance to leave the inside if the village, Arian heard Maul's voice rise to a loud, and almost angry tone. She turned and looked at him, seeing that he was looking at Talzin with great irritation. "Master?" She asked quietly.

Talzin looked at Arian, and once Maul noticed that he looked at her as well. "Are you not going to keep and eye on her as you said you would?"

Maul shot Talzin an intimidating stare, but it had no effect on the strange, witch leader. Finding it useless and more distracting to Arian if he were to stay, he moved from his spot and caught up with Arian and the other girl.

Talzin silently watched the three of them walk off; so many secrets behind her lips left unsaid to Maul and the girl that was his half sister that he called and only believed to be his apprentice. The shaman witch looked down, a growing pain in her heart for the girl she loved like her own. All she could do is let the spirits guide her in the fulfilling of Arian's strange destiny...

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><p><strong>Author's note: Please read and review! I bet you readers freaked out at some of the revelations in this chapter, huh? :D No one expected Arian and Maul to be related! XD I originally hadn't thought of making them half siblings, but when I did think of doing it I realized that it would fit really well for what I have planned for future chapters... Other than that, I know this chapter was short, but there is much more to come! I will start on a new chapter as soon as I can! ^_^<strong>


	27. NEW UPDATE! PLEASE READ!

UPDATE! PLEASE READ!

I will be starting art school January 16th, and in going it will hopefully improve my art skills greatly, and give me the improvement that I need to confidently make Star Wars fan comic. I have decided to finally rewrite this story. Details are below.

I will be rewriting this story from the very beginning, with many changes to the main plot and characters, and perhaps even the title will be changed as well. Everything will be done in comic-book format, and will be up on my deviantart page to read. I have a new computer, but unfortunately, I do not have Microsoft Word to rewrite this story to put here on FF. I'm not sure when I will start, but I think I might start sometime in 2015 after taking the art classes for a while.

Author's note: These are the reasons I had originally stopped writing this fanfic:

1. I had stopped this story for many reasons. The only family I really had died this year, and it greatly upset me and caused me not to want to draw OR write.

2. I ran out of ideas with what to continue in the story, and I got lost with all of the information that I had originally put in it in the first place.

3. Star Wars: The Clone Wars had ended, as did Maul's story in the show, but his story was continued in a comic called Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir. Because of certain details in this comic, it contradicted what I wanted to write in my fanfic originally, therefore hindering my writing. His story in his comic also ended with a cliff-hanger, so us fans still don't know what exactly happened to him. In his comic, he did not die and so far we have not seen anything else released about him since then.

4. I didn't feel that my art skills were efficient enough to put this fanfic in comic format. That's why that after I take art classes for a while, I will try to finally make this fanfic a fan comic.

5. Work has been stressing and tiring me. I got a job as a shift supervisor with max hours (40 hours a week) and though it pays well, I haven't had free time to do anything else and I've been very tired.

6. I began to dislike certain details that I originally put in this fanfic, and I want them changed. I also feel that if I rewrite this (comic or just writing) that the story will be much better and less unnecessarily elongated, and a lot more fleshed out. Though I know that I was/am good at keeping characters "in character", I didn't originally have much of an idea of where I wanted this story to end up.

7. I hate how I originally designed my OC, Arian, and so I want to change some of her design (mainly her clothing design). 


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